How To: Infuse Homemade Cooking Oils in Soda Bottle Containers

Flavored oils are amazing. They add a new flavor and depth to dishes not possible with plain oil. Most unfortunately, however, flavored oils almost always come with a hefty price tag to reflect their deliciousness and to capitalize on the general cluelessness of the public.

You do not have to stand for this! Why pay extra for what you can make in the comfort of your own home for cheap? I will show you how to make your own flavored, or infused, oils at home for a fraction of the cost in stores.

Materials

• 20 ounce soda bottles
• Olive (or similar) oil
• Infusion ingredients
• Corks

Step 1: Remove the Labels

Grab your soda bottles and remove the labels.

Step 2: Clean Out Bottles

Thoroughly clean out bottles. Make sure they are completely dry before continuing, as any water can help create a breeding ground for bacteria.

Step 3: Fill Bottles

Carefully fill each bottle with the oil of your choosing. Olive oil is probably best, though sunflower seed oil or peanut oil would be good, as well. Be sure to leave enough room for expansion (in regards to when you place your infusion ingredients in the oil).

Step 4: Add Ingredients

Carefully add the ingredients whose flavors your wish to impart in the oil. Make sure they are soluble and will impart flavors well. For instance, you wouldn't want to use hard shelled nuts, as they wouldn't release much flavor.

For this project, I chose black peppercorns:

Orange peel:

And garlic cloves:

Everything you add should sink right to the bottom. If a few pieces float, it's okay.

Step 5: Seal Bottles

Impart an airtight seal on the bottles by replacing the caps with wine corks.

Step 6: Repeat

Repeat the previous step with all bottles.

Step 7: Refrigerate

Place your tightly sealed oils in your fridge.

You will want to leave them be for at least two weeks before breaking in on your oils. At that point, open and check the flavor. If it isn't strong enough for your liking, leave them be for another week.

Your oils should keep, tightly sealed and cooled, for at least two months. You can strain out the ingredients if you wish, but bare in mind that the flavor will grow stronger if they are left in. How would you infuse oil better? Sound off in the comments section below.