Re: [CH] Ginger oil
Stephen Tanner (SBahrd@a-o.com)
Sat, 29 Aug 1998 14:31:04 -0400
J.B Cattley wrote:
>
> While at the Hot and spicy foods expo at the Rocks the other day, I picked
> up a bottle of chilli ginger oil made by jones the grocers all in lowercase.
> Fantastic, addictive stuff. Only token chile, but the ginger really came
> through amazingly. Goes a treat in stirfry. What I want to know is, how can
> I make my own? Oil tastes unheated, ginger tastes fresh, so how to get that
> much ginger into the oil without any water content?
It matters whether it was ginger oil or ginger infused oil. Ginger
oil(oil of ginger) is extracted from the ginger itself in much the same
way that peppermint oil is extracted from peppermint leaves. (Definitely
not a good do-it-yourself project)
Ginger infused oil is made by heating sliced ginger (and chiles if you
wish) in another oil such as olive, peanut, canola, or sesame. This may
be done at home safely and simply.
The proportions depend upon the amount of ginger flavor you want. I
prefer about 1/3 ginger to 2/3 oil. It is very importaint to heat the
mix to 245 degF for at least 10 minutes and to use extreme caution while
handling hot oil. Then you can keep the oil in a cheese cloth covered
Jar or crock for about a month and strain into bottles for your own use.
Another possibility might be to mix refined oil of ginger with the oil
of your choice, perhaps peanut oil. When I was young (many years ago),
oil of ginger was available from pharmacies as was oil of cinnamon, oil
of cloves, and oil of peppermint. All of these are very strong and are
sold by the ounce rather than by the quart. I would suggest an initial
mix of 1 oz to 2 cups of oil. Then you can add more of either to your
taste. Having never tried this, I am just speculating. I am not even
sure if the two will mix.
Yours in chileheaddedness,
Steve Tanner
Tarheel Steve's Pots, Pans, & Poetry
http://www.ioa.com/home/stanner
Da Firecracker Chilly Page
http://www.ioa.com/home/stanner/chindex.htm
Steve's Stuff
http://www.a-o.com/sbahrd/