The Oil-Infusion Tip To Make Use Of Your Kitchen Scraps

If you're looking for a way to add some flavor to your cooking without adding a lot of steps and you want to reduce food waste in the process, then you should consider making your own oil infusions at home. Although it might sound like a complicated task, an oil infusion is simply adding ingredients to your favorite oil to give it more flavor. To make an infusion all you need is a bottle or jar, some oil, ingredients to flavor the oil like garlic cloves or herbs, and a little time to let the ingredients permeate the oil to create the infusion. 

Besides the simplicity of making it, the best part of an infusion is that the oil takes on the flavor of whatever is added to the bottle, so the only things you'll need to ponder are what you'll want to use the oil for since this will determine what type of oil you'll start with, and what flavor you'll want to add. If you want to use it for salad dressings, then, as Bon Appétit explains, you should start with an oil that works well as a vinaigrette, like olive oil. Just remember that your infused olive oil should always be kept in the fridge to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Once you make an infusion, you may be hooked on the process and start thinking about new things to incorporate into your next batch.

While you may add herbs, garlic, or whole chilies, you can include just about anything you like. The more creative you get, the more you can reduce your food waste by taking kitchen scraps you may normally toss and instead making an infusion with them. This act of kitchen creativity allows you to use what's on hand and the flavors you enjoy most.

According to The Guardian, some chefs recommend adding ginger peels, green onion ends, or citrus peels to oil to enhance stir fry or to drizzle in Asian soups. A common item that gets thrown away, yet contains loads of flavor are cheese rinds, usually found at the end of a wedge of parmesan or romano cheese. Instead of tossing them, add your cheese rinds to create a flavorful oil that's great for dressings, drizzling over cold pasta salads, or use it as a dip for toasted bread. So, the next time you're about to toss kitchen scraps, save them instead to create a flavorful oil infusion.