I have never had much success with herb infused oils and I have tried many recipes. I have always been meticulous with regard to hygiene with everything I preserve. The only thing that works for me is using dried herbs or chillies. I gave up on using fresh along time ago for long term storage. I was too freaked out by find mould growing on the herbs in the bottle!!! I sometimes gently heat fresh herbs in oil eg basil or rosemary and use them straight away or within days and store them in the fridge. When I want to use them I bring them up to room temp for a couple of hours.
If anyone has the secret to success with this please let me know.
I found this online if anyone is interested...
•Flavored Oils:
Precautions:
Oils flavored with garlic, herbs, or dried tomatoes or combinations of these ingredients pose a health hazard if not kept refrigerated. Unrefrigerated garlic-in-oil mixtures lacking antimicrobial agents have been shown to permit the growth of C. botulinum bacteria and its toxins, without affecting the taste of smell of the products. The FDA recommends that home-prepared mixtures of garlic-in-oil be made and used fresh.
Adding dried herbs to oil poses less of a risk because of the low water activity of the dried herbs. Fresh herbs, on the other hand, could support the growth of C. botulinum based on several factors, including high water activity and high pH. C. botulinum can be controlled in these products simply by refrigerating. The addition of fresh whole chilies or fleshy vegetables would also pose a C. botulinum risk at room temperature storage.
Based on this information, we recommend that all home-prepared flavored oil products should be stored at refrigerated temperatures. If the product was flavored with a fresh herb or vegetable, expect the shelf life of the product to be about three weeks in the refrigerator, longer for dried flavorings. (RB)
Duke :)
