Different Flavouring Methods For Our Olive Oils & What It Means For You
Olive oil is one of the most common household condiment these days. Salad, bread, meats, what doesn’t it go with? With so many varieties of olives, there’s many different types of oils. And while single varietals are great, sometimes you need a little extra something. This is where we enter the world of flavoured olive oils. At Aurelius, we carry up to 20 different flavours which may look as if they are flavoured in the same manner, but that is not the case. Read on to discover the different flavouring techniques for our wonderful products.
Infused Olive Oil
This is the original method of flavouring olive oils. Infusion refers to steeping ingredients with an olive oil for a certain amount of time. Our infused olive oils are steeped with their respective ingredients for four to six weeks before they are ready for consumption. At Aurelius, we carry Basil Infused Olive Oil, and Garlic Infused Olive Oil along several other classic flavours. But olive oil infusions aren’t just for the “experts,” you can do them, too! All you have to do is take an ingredient of your choice -such as fresh basil or rosemary- and steep them with an olive oil, similar to how you would brew tea! The trick is figuring out which flavours work better with what olive oils. Extra virgin olive oil, for example, may have a stronger flavour that could potentially overpower the added flavours, in which case, you would want to use a milder base, like pure olive oil. If you would like some inspiration, our article “How to Infuse Your Own Olive Oil,” is sure to help you out. They make great DIY presents around Christmas or birthdays.
Flavoured Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Another method of flavouring olive oil is to “flavour” them. These extra virgin oils are flavoured with concentrates or extracts. Examples of this include: Smoked Hickory EVOO, Meyer Lemon EVOO or Persian Lime EVOO. The vast majority of our products are naturally flavoured, however depending on the flavour, it may be artificially flavoured. The advantages of these products are that the healthy benefits of an extra virgin olive oil (which we talked about HERE) are there, as well as a tasty flavour. They are especially handy if you are not the type of person to keep fresh ingredients like basil or lemon all the time.
Fused Olive Oil
Fused olive oils are a combination -a fusion, if you will- of the previous two methods. They take a naturally flavoured olive oil and add a concentrate or extract. Examples of this include: Citrus Habanero Fused Olive Oil, Garlic Chili Fused Olive Oil, and the Tuscan Herb Olive Oil. Sometimes one flavour just isn’t jazzy enough; sure, you could have garlic olive oil, but what about garlic chilli olive oil?
Our oils and vinegars are great for individual use or for mixing together and using on salads or as a bread dipper. However, the possibilities don’t have to stop there. Here are a few of our favourite recipes for you to try out at home; Cherry Tomato Confit Bruschetta, Muhammara/Roasted Red Pepper Dip. These recipes and more can be viewed here .
So whether it’s a full meal, small snacks, or even just drinks, Aurelius has got you covered.
It’s my understanding that a classic “fused” oil is one where the “fresh lemon” or “herb” is pressed at the same time as the olive, and not a concentrate or extract. That is why you’ll find new harvest lemons pressed with new harvest olives. They are harvested at the same time. Hope that helps.