Roasted Tomato Oil

Hi there, I was planning on making some garlic infused oil. I've never made anything like it before. I was thinking about sauteing a handful of cloves in some pure olive oil for a couple of minutes (making sure not to burn 'em). Then add more oil to the pan to make it up to about 250ml. Then gently heat the oil up to 90 degrees Celsius. Leave it on the heat for about a minute and then decant it into a sterilized bottle. I was planning on storing it like I do with other oils, in a cool, dark place. Do you think the method I plan to use will give me a decent oil and what sort of shelf-life do you think I will get if I store it in this manner? I'm cautious because I've heard there is a risk of botulism from poorly prepared garlic oils? If it is successful, I will do the same and make some chilli oil with some fresh chillies. As this is the first comment for this recipe. I recon I can get away with showing my gratitude without unnecessarily spamming the recipe comments. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Rouxbe team for all their brilliant learning resources and for all the advice and help I have been given. I really appreciate it! Thanks. Andy

You are quite right, garlic is often linked to botulism ...years ago I worked in a Four star hotel and we decided to make our own infused oils, until the Health Department informed us a the true dangers with garlic. The commercial bottles of oil you see on shelves at room temperature have been treated in such a way as to eliminate that risk, so I strongly encourage you to really get to know if there is a safe 'home' method before I would venture in making your own. Botulism is a very serious illness, that usually gets into your blood stream. Now on a more positive note, other oils are fine, yet you need to absolutely make sure that the herbs have been well washed and dried or they can also create some issues. I would also always keep these oils in the refrigerator. As for chili oils with fresh chili, I do not have experience with this as I have never made it with fresh chilis. We often make a chili oil with dried chilis and it works well. Hope it helps.

Thanks Christophe. That is a fantastic answer. You have told me everything I needed to know. I will definitely be taking your advice and sticking to only using store-bought garlic oils. Also, I didn't consider using dried chilies for chili oil. Seems like a much better way of making it. With many thanks. Andy

Woah! I had no idea of the risks involved in making my own garlic infused olive oil. After reading your post, I checked several other sources and you are absolutely correct. It is a very real danger! The scary thing is that I used to (in my pre-Rouxbe days) regularly drop a clove or two of garlic into a bottle of olive oil and let it sit on the counter to infuse its flavour into my oil over time. I am still alive, so I was obviously lucky! The reality is, that I only did that a few times because I soon realized that I got much better flavour by adding the garlic directly into whatever I was cooking at the time it was being cooked. I have learned that I can quickly infuse fresh garlic flavours into whatever oil I am cooking with by simply sweating the garlic in the oil for a few minutes before adding other ingredients.to the dish, Thanks for your comment. It is an important one.

Is the risk just with leaving the garlic in the oil? Why is this recipe ok?

Hey Alex- The garlic infused oil in the recipe is made from roasted garlic and made into an oil that is refrigerated. It's not the same as dropping a few raw cloves in the oil and letting it sit for a long time to infuse. There is a healthy dialogue about botulism in homemade garlic oils online - but the risk is diminished if you simply cook the product first. ~Ken

Thanks Ken!

The other thing to keep in mind with preserved products and botulism is the acidity of the food. Botulism thrives in a low-acid environment. In this particular recipe, I would imagine that the high acidity of the tomatoes in this recipe would reduce the risk of botulism growth during storage. There is a lot of information online about this if you research canning techniques. On a lighter note, this oil was delicious! I used it to garnish Rouxbe's spinach and watercress soup along with a dollop of homemade crème fraîche for a classic green/white/red color presentation.

Wow, this was educational ~ ~ soooo glad my curiosity leads me to reading all the notes under the recipes I'm working on. Mahalooooo to the chefs and students who lend their wisdom and experience ~ ~ it is much appreciated!

Hello, I tried this twice and once I blended the oil into the tomatoes it emulsified. I put it into cheesecloth, but nothing as deep and red as the picture came out. Any suggestions?

Hello, Rhonda: what jumps out at me is the true ripeness of the tomatoes--ripened tomatoes seem to do the best in this recipe. I would look at the ripeness of the tomatoes. You can also use Roma tomatoes (about 5-6). Thanks, Char

how much salt is recommended as as a baseline for this recipe?thank you

Hi Riaz, please add salt to suit your palate! ~ Eric

Why do you have a photo of a green one included? Is that green tomatoes?

Hi! It doesn't pass through my cheesecloth. Is my mix too thick? Or do I need a cheese cloth with less thread count? Mine can be a coffee filter. I use it for herb oils. And what should it taste like? Should it be sour?

Hello— My first question is, “Are you using a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix?” If not, once blended, puréed, if it is not passing through the cheesecloth, I would put the blended foods into a double mesh strainer, and manually stir, when the particles will break up. As for its taste—the roasted garlic will render a sweetness, and with the tomatoes, give the oil a rich, fresh flavors with a vegetable bouquet. It’s really good for dipping bread. Hope this helps. Take care, Char