Cooking with Susie Q

My family and I have enjoyed infused olive oil over the years and with all the success we’ve had this year with our herbs, we’ve decided to do up several bottles for our home use and maybe as Christmas gifts this year.  I think if you decide to try this, you will enjoy it as much as we do.  You can use this infused oil for sautéing, seasoning, flavoring a vinaigrette, or marinating.  There are many uses for it and you will probably discover many more as you go along. 
Refrigeration does not harm most grades of olive oil, but it is not recommended for expensive extra virgin varieties because condensation may develop in the bottle, affecting the flavor. When chilled, or in cold weather, the oil may turn cloudy and even solidify. Such oil will clear again as it warms, so cloudiness should not be taken as an indication that the oil is past its prime. Be sure bottles are tightly sealed. Refrigeration will extend the life of olive oil without harming the oil. Doing so will cause it to congeal and turn cloudy, but should not affect flavor. If refrigerated, olive oil will return to its original, liquid state when warmed to room temperature again.
 Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: All olive oils that are less than 1 percent acidity and produced by the first pressing of the olive fruit through the cold pressing process is called extra-virgin olive oil.
  Virgin Olive Oil: It is made from olives that are slightly riper than those used in the production of extra-virgin oil. Virgin olive oil is produced in the same way, but it is essentially defective or low-grade extra virgin oil. This oil’s acidity is a slightly higher level of 1.5 percent.
 Refined Olive Oil: Olive oil known as “refined olive oil” is made by refining the virgin olive oil. The final product is basically a tasteless olive oil. The acidity level is higher than 3.3 percent. It also has a not-too-nice flavor and an unpleasant odor.
 Pure Olive Oil: Pure olive oil, usually called just olive oil, comes either from the second cold pressing or the chemical extraction of the olive mash left over after the first pressing. This grade is also called commercial grade oil. Pure olive oil is much lighter in color and blander in taste than virgin olive oil. It is a general-purpose (all-purpose) olive oil. Pure refers to the fact that no non-olive oils are mixed in.
 Light & Extra Light Olive Oil: The olive oil that you see on the supermarket shelf advertised as “light” or as “Extra Light” olive oil contains the exact same number of calories as regular olive oil and is a mixture of refined olive oils that are derived from the lowest quality olive oils available through chemical processing.

 Directions:   Place basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano in a 12 ounce bottle. Using a funnel, pour oil into bottle. Cover tightly, and refrigerate unused portions. You can also store in a cool dark place in you cupboard.
I also wanted to mention to you that we made mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese this weekend.  It was great!  I want to try it a couple more times then I will share my results with you.  If you want to try some with me, the only items I didn’t have in my cupboard were Rennet (I found it at a natural food store) and Citric Acid.
Have a great week and keep those letters and emails coming.  I love hearing from you.  We’ll talk more next week.  Please contact me at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.