Making something tasty is always possible if you keep a jar of garlic oil in the refrigerator. For those of us who love garlic, the smell of an Italian trattoria will fill your home for a while just from the act of making garlic oil, which is never a bad thing.
This is my preferred method for making garlic oil, though there are many other excellent ones as well. I like it a lot because it pays out two dividends. Garlic confit, also known as garlic oil, which is extremely useful on its own, as well as poached softened, lightly browned garlic cloves are both present.
How to Make Garlic Oil at Home
The process is incredibly straightforward. Simply put some peeled garlic cloves in a pot, cover with olive oil, and heat over low heat until the garlic is tender and more flavorful and the oil has absorbed the garlic flavor. Depending on the size of the cloves and the temperature of the oil, this should take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes.
Try to avoid letting the oil come to a full simmer; higher heat will cause the garlic to brown too quickly and excessively, which could give the dish a bitter flavor.
Garlic
Garlic has a distinct and potent flavor. It might be overwhelming. Garlic that has not been cooked has a much more potent flavor.
Once garlic and heat are combined, they dance, and the pungent heat that was once the garlic’s primary characteristic mellows and transforms into a creamy delicious flavor.
Like a grumpy guy meeting a sweet girl, her gentleness softens his edges and causes him to smile where he once frowned.
Garlic and Botulism
When using garlic in oils, there was a lot of discussion about botulism. Please take note though, we are removing the garlic at this point. Additionally, we are heating the oil while adding garlic, which destroys bacteria.
What Type of Oil
Since olive oil is one of my favorite cooking oils, I’m using it. If living on the Greek island of Crete taught me anything, it was to always use the oil you enjoy.
In addition to all of its wonderful health advantages, I adore the flavor of olive oil. however, you can infuse any oil you like with garlic.
Why not experiment with rapeseed or vegetable oil? You should use the garlic-infused oil, so pick your favorite oil as the base.
Ingredients for Infused Garlic Oil
There are just 2 ingredients in this dish. Just garlic and olive oil are used. Don’t you just adore an easy recipe?
How to Make Garlic Oil
Peel the garlic cloves. There’s no need to mince or chop anything. The individual garlic cloves only need to have their skins peeled off.
The peeled garlic simmers in my heated oil for 20 minutes. I don’t heat the oil to a boil or use high heat.
Garlic should not turn color because doing so would make the oil very potent. In this case, a straightforward infusion is the goal.
Put a lid on the pan, turn off the heat, and leave it alone for an hour to cool completely.
In a jug, strain the garlic-infused oil; after that, carefully pour it into a sterilized glass bottle.
Adding Herbs to Infused Oil
You can flavor your garlic oil with additional flavors. In particular, rosemary works well. In fact, my go-to booking agent during the winter is rosemary and garlic oil.
When I’m starting on a base for any soup or stew, it adds a powerful flavor punch.
The best dancing partners for garlic are the stronger herbs. Consider herbs with woody stems, such as thyme, sage, and rosemary.
In particular, rosemary works well. In fact, my go-to winter cooking ingredient is oil infused with rosemary and garlic. When I am beginning on a base for any soup or stew, it adds a great punch of flavor.
How to Store Garlic Oil
When you’ve finished making your garlic oil, transfer the entire batch—cloves and all—to a glass container, seal it, and keep it in the refrigerator. Additionally, you can strain out the garlic cloves and use them within a few days while storing the oil in a different glass container for two weeks. Plastic is acceptable as well, but glass will retain less of the garlic flavor, giving you a better chance of using it again in the future for something that isn’t garlicky.
How Long Will Garlic Oil Last?
The key query is that. After browsing the internet, I became very perplexed. I don’t know, and what I do may not be what you should do, to put it succinctly. Thus, this is what I do. I would store the garlic cloves in the refrigerator and use them within two or three days if I were to strain out the garlic and then place the cloves in a smaller container with just enough olive oil to cover them. I would make sure to keep the strained oil sealed in the refrigerator and use it for up to two weeks.
Use the soft garlic to make bruschetta or crostini by mashing the garlic onto the toast with a fork.
Ways to Use Garlic Oil
- Brush on bread to make bruschetta or crostini
- Mash into mashed potatoes
- Toss with baby new potatoes or cubed new potatoes before roasting
- Use in dressings and vinaigrettes
- Make mayonnaise or aioli with it
- Use in pestos
- Drizzle over everything: a bowl of soup, anything grilled, roasted vegetables, wherever a little silkiness and a hint of garlic would be warranted
Conclusion
Simply cooking garlic cloves in olive oil over a very low heat will produce garlic-infused oil. However, there are a few additional ingredients that can be used to spice up the recipe even more. Try it with dried chili peppers and thyme sprigs for a truly delicious treat. This can last for up to a month if kept in a cool, dry location.
It is now time to experiment with your garlic-infused olive oil. Try using it to prepare these paleo recipes.
FAQs
Can You Freeze Garlic Confit?
Yes, you can. You can freeze the confit garlic with the oil or puree the garlic and freeze separately for up to 2 months. I like to freeze them into a covered ice-cube tray and take out how much I need. The oil and garlic can be put directly from frozen into a pan (or other cooking vessel). Keep it out of the way so it won’t be knocked over, and keep in mind that oil doesn’t freeze solid.
How Much Oil is Needed Per Head of Garlic?
This largely depends on the pan you’re using for the method. Use a pan with tall sides and a smaller surface area if possible; you’ll use less oil that way. For 1 head I’d use around 1/2 cup of oil or more in a small-ish pan.
