Infused vegetable oil

Infused vegetable oil is the oil obtained by extracting fat-soluble compounds from plants, vegetables or spices into a vegetable oil base.

LIPOSOLUBLE, -E, liposoluble, -e, adj. (About substances) Soluble in fats or oils. - From fr. liposoluble. (According to DEX)

I will begin by explaining why, in my view, we are talking about infused oil, not macerated.

Firstly because it involves heat, in all types of extraction, both traditional and modern variants. Then because it involves filtration, and the result has therapeutic benefits.

Both the modern, fast method (which involves gently heating the mixture of herbs and oil) and the traditional method (which relies on the heat of the sun) use heat to extract the fat-soluble substances from the herbs into the oil. Thus, in my view, this type of extraction is more an infusion than a maceration.

Maceration according to the DEX{::}The holding of a body for a long time in a solvent, cold, to cause it to eliminate soluble particles.

Infusion according to DEX{::}A solution extracted from a plant or its seeds by oppuration with a liquid (followed by maceration and filtration); (especially) a medicine prepared in this way.

I should point out, however, that there is also a cold extraction method for fat-soluble substances in oil. This is strictly maceration, but it is very rarely used.

Whatever you call this type of extraction, the benefits of the resulting oils are extraordinary, and they can be used in both cosmetic preparations (facial serum, body butter, massage oil, lotion, mask, etc.) and culinary preparations (salads, sauces, etc.). When you use them, you will benefit not only from the properties of the base oil but also from those of the infused plant, vegetable or spice, which can be chosen for a very specific purpose, with a view to future use.

As a base, you can generally choose any stable vegetable oil such as Sunflower, Susan, Coconut, Jojoba. Stable oils are those that resist oxidation (rancidity) and heating over time. See their monographs in the Essentials app for details.

There are a multitude of herbs, vegetables and spices that have been used for centuries for infusion and they are chosen according to the season and the fat-soluble substances they contain. The most popular herbs for oil infusion are: net nettle, marigold, kohlrabi (spring), mint, St. John's wort, St. John's wort, marigold (summer), garlic, carrot (fall).

To make an infusion, the herbs must be picked, cleaned, dried and chopped before infusion. There are some exceptions, such as St. John's wort or St. John's wort, which give better results when used fresh rather than dried. After infusion, strain the composition and store the infused oil in a cool place away from light in a covered container. I will describe and explain the infusion process in detail in a future article.

The shelf life of the infused oil depends on that of the base oil used. You can also add an antioxidant to the infused oil to delay rancidity, such as vitamin E (tocopherol) or Rosamarin extract (Rosmarinus officinalis CO2).

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