Citrus and other "oils"

[CaptainJack]

Recently I have seen a lot of "oils" being used, citrus oils seems popular but I have also seen shellfish oils.

What is the deal with these as I have not tasted them but am interested? Are they simply infused regular oils or rind oils?

I have seen oil essence for sale in aromatherapy shops, are these edible?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Patrick S]

Citrus oils, at least the ones labelled as "pure", are generally just pressed out of the rinds, no other ingredient added.

[ChefJohnny]

I definitly would not ingest the aromatherapy oils, since im sure they are not fit for consumption. Flavored oils are very easy to make, but usually dont impart much flavor, but that depends on what kind of oil. Most of the time, the oils are used primarily for color. The French Laundry book has some great recipes for oils, too.

-Chef Johnny

[jsmith]

I've had lobster oil and basalmic vinegar for dipping bread in that was quite tasty.

I believe when I googled the recipe it was herbs, maybe some vegetables and lobster bits (shells with bits of meat) cooked in oil and strained.

[Slow Lorus]

Hi,

Can I revive this topic? I've only recently joined up after years of lurking. I'm also interested in cooking and baking with concentrated oils.

I did some research online and asked around at a number of co-ops/natural foods stores/herbalists and apparently essential oils that are labeled therapeutic grade are indeed edible. Simplers is one brand that I know is safe for ingesting and seems to be pretty common but I'm sure there are others. The therapeutic grade oils are used for a number internal applications (from capsules to suppositories, it appears).

It seems to me that using essential oils like peppermint, cinnamon, ginger, or lime would be entirely different than using or making a flavored oil because of the intensity/potency/concentration of the essential oils.

Has anyone here actually cooked or baked with essential oils? I'm really interested in hearing from someone who has experience using these in kitchen setting. This could open up a whole new world of flavoring methods for me!

Thanks!

Best,

SL

[Kerry Beal]

Hi,

Can I revive this topic?  I've only recently joined up after years of lurking.  I'm also interested in cooking and baking with concentrated oils.

I did some research online and asked around at a number of co-ops/natural foods stores/herbalists and apparently essential oils that are labeled therapeutic grade are indeed edible.  Simplers is one brand that I know is safe for ingesting and seems to be pretty common but I'm sure there are others.  The therapeutic grade oils are used for a number internal applications (from capsules to suppositories, it appears).

It seems to me that using essential oils like peppermint, cinnamon, ginger, or lime would be entirely different than using or making a flavored oil because of the intensity/potency/concentration of the essential oils.

Has anyone here actually cooked or baked with essential oils?  I'm really interested in hearing from someone who has experience using these in kitchen setting.  This could open up a whole new world of flavoring methods for me!

Thanks!

Best,

SL

←

I use essential oils in my chocolate fillings all the time. I use peppermint, rose, citrus and a number of herb essential oils. I will often use the citrus oils in baking in place of peel. I also take dried lemon peels that I strip off lemons with a carrot peeler, grind them in my spice grinder, add a bit of sugar and some drops of lemon oil. It makes a nice replacement for fresh grated peel in a lot of cake or cookie recipes.

The trick is to use small amounts as they are very strong.

[djyee100]

Here's a book about cooking and baking with essential oils. Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Foods and Fragrance (Hardcover) by Mandy Aftel, Daniel Patterson and the listing on Amazon.

I read it awhile back (borrowed from my public library). As I recall, one has to be careful since not all essential oils are edible. The books lists sources for edible oils.

I cook occasionally with the Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil that's for sale at Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma. It adds a nice zip to lemon poundcake and lemon cookies. You can also mix it with fine-quality extra virgin olive oil and drizzle it on fish and veggies. A little of this oil goes a long way.

[Shalmanese]

I definitly would not ingest the aromatherapy oils, since im sure they are not fit for consumption. Flavored oils are very easy to make, but usually dont impart much flavor, but that depends on what kind of oil. Most of the time, the oils are used primarily for color. The French Laundry book has some great recipes for oils, too.

-Chef Johnny

←

There's often a confusion between Essential Oils and Oil. Oil like Olive Oil or Canola Oil is a triglyceride. Essential Oils are a giant class of chemicals which contribute to the aroma of food. Most Essential Oils are not Oil (triglycerides). Some Essential Oils are soluble in Oil so you can make a flavoured Oil by infusing it with Essential Oils but there is only a tiny bit of Essential Oils in the Oil... confused yet?

Edited January 20, 2007 by Shalmanese (log)

[Miriam Kresh]

It's worth finding out which essential oils are edible, and in what quantities, as they are most concentrated and many are toxic. Aromatherapists (at least, the ones I know here) become very wary when the talk turns to essential oils in food, even good-quality ones. Good e.os are not cheap, they come in opaque bottles, and their labels bear their botanical names. They should come with a Material Safety Data Sheet, obtainable from the supplier. The cheaper ones are often made by chemical extraction and are dangerous to ingest. When e.o.s are used in food, they are meted out drop by drop: for example, 1 drop of mint e.o. will freshen and flavor 3 liters of water. Apart from that, e.os. should never be applied directly to the skin, but diluted in oil, water, or milk, as they may a) sensitize a person to the point where all of its chemical compounds become allergens; b) cause a burn. Aromatherapists have many stories about essential oil toxicity or burns caused by over-enthusiastic people.

When I was making soap in quantity, my sense of smell pretty much died because of the constant exposure to the essential oils I was using for the soap's fragrance. It took about six months to regain it after I stopped working with soap. I do love essential oils, though, and now that I can smell them again, sometimes perfume or deodorize the house with a combination of several in a water burner. I include them in the moisturizers and salves I make, and will use up to 6 drops in a bath, or in the almond oil for a full massage. But I would not venture to put any in food, except on the advice of an aromatherapist.

Just my two cents.

Miriam

[paul o' vendange]

Interesting discussion. One thing I would be curious about is the relative holding power of essential v. infused (flavored) oils. I regularly made several herb (thyme, rosemary, basil, fennel) oils, as well as shellfish oils and butters (i.e., coral butter, lobster oil). The herb oils, while beautifully, deeply green and intensely flavored, had a very poor shelf life - while their color remained vibrant for some time, and were a nice component on the plate, their deep, intensive flavor (and aroma) were very short lived. I'd be curious on some of the science behind this, when compared to the essential oils as described above.

[Slow Lorus]

Here's a book about cooking and baking with essential oils. Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Foods and Fragrance (Hardcover) by Mandy Aftel, Daniel Patterson and the listing on Amazon.

I read it awhile back (borrowed from my public library).  As I recall, one has to be careful since not all essential oils are edible. The books lists sources for edible oils.

I cook occasionally with the Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil that's for sale at Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma. It adds a nice zip to lemon poundcake and lemon cookies. You can also mix it with fine-quality extra virgin olive oil and drizzle it on fish and veggies. A little of this oil goes a long way.

←

Hi,

I know of Mandy Aftel. She's a pretty big name in perfume circles but I've never looked at her book. Thanks, it's probably full of interesting information. Like Paul, I'm curious if anyone has more scientific insight into this topic. Maybe Aftel can shed some light on this topic for me.

I have also used Boyajian oils and I do always have their lemon and orange oils on hand for baking and cooking. I really appreciate the citrus zing without having to change the texture of my dishes when the presence of zest might affect the mouthfeel.

I saw that LorAnn Oils supplies King Arthur Flour/The Baker's Catalogue with their flavoring oils but they also have their own website and many of their oils are listed in both the aromatherapy and "gourmet" sections.

In general I'm glad to hear from Kerry and Miriam about their experience with essential oils. I know through my limited experience with essential oils in body products that a few drops go a long way and one should be careful and knowledgeable about dosages, I just don't know anything in regards to the oils when it comes to food preparations. Kerry, how many drops do you use to flavor your chocolates?

Best,

SL

[Kerry Beal]

Here's a book about cooking and baking with essential oils. Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Foods and Fragrance (Hardcover) by Mandy Aftel, Daniel Patterson and the listing on Amazon.

I read it awhile back (borrowed from my public library).  As I recall, one has to be careful since not all essential oils are edible. The books lists sources for edible oils.

I cook occasionally with the Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil that's for sale at Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma. It adds a nice zip to lemon poundcake and lemon cookies. You can also mix it with fine-quality extra virgin olive oil and drizzle it on fish and veggies. A little of this oil goes a long way.

←

Hi,

I know of Mandy Aftel. She's a pretty big name in perfume circles but I've never looked at her book. Thanks, it's probably full of interesting information. Like Paul, I'm curious if anyone has more scientific insight into this topic. Maybe Aftel can shed some light on this topic for me.

I have also used Boyajian oils and I do always have their lemon and orange oils on hand for baking and cooking. I really appreciate the citrus zing without having to change the texture of my dishes when the presence of zest might affect the mouthfeel.

I saw that LorAnn Oils supplies King Arthur Flour/The Baker's Catalogue with their flavoring oils but they also have their own website and many of their oils are listed in both the aromatherapy and "gourmet" sections.

In general I'm glad to hear from Kerry and Miriam about their experience with essential oils. I know through my limited experience with essential oils in body products that a few drops go a long way and one should be careful and knowledgeable about dosages, I just don't know anything in regards to the oils when it comes to food preparations. Kerry, how many drops do you use to flavor your chocolates?

Best,

SL

←

Well for a recipe with a 200 grams of chocolate I use 10 drops of oil of bergamot. For a recipe of 250 grams, I use 4 drops lime oil. There's 5 drops of lemon oil in a lemon filling that also has lemon puree, lemon compound and freeze dried lemon. 5 drops of lavender oil in 200 grams chocolate. Mint uses 20 drops for a recipe that makes about 1 kg of filling.

When I use rose otto, I dilute it 1 in 10 in jojoba oil, then use a couple of drops at a time until I get the flavour I'm after.

[Miriam Kresh]

There are a number of good books available on the subject of essential oils and their use: an easy read is Shirley Price's Aromatherapy for Common Ailments. A more comprehensive book is Victoria H. Edward's The Aromatherapy Companion. Both are available at Amazon.com (- sorry, it may be simple, but I haven't found the way to insert a hyperlink here). Although I don't know Mandy Aftel's book, it does sound more germaine to the discussions on food here.

About the shelf life of flavored oils vs. essential oils, I can say this: e.o.s are produced by steam distillation, or, depending on the part of the plant where the oil glands are, by manual or mechanical expression (squeezing) - as in citrus peels. The fragrance of resins is extracted by an alcohol/water solution. An ancient way of preserving flower fragrances in oil is maceration, which calls for layering fresh flowers with a neutral-smelling oil. Then there are various modern chemical means, which leave chemical residues in the product. There are new methods, calling for specialized equipment, which capture delicate notes which have been elusive up till now, and yet leave a pure, residue-free product. A simple home still will produce a small amount of essential oil of rose, honeysuckle, lilac, or what have you. (I won't get into synthetic fragrances and flavors, except to say that I don't trust them myself.)

You can see that our attempts to capture flavor and aroma in the kitchen are most closely related to maceration, whether in oil, vinegar, wine, water, sugars, salt, or vodka. You can call this method infusion, too, and I usually do. To illustrate, at this moment, just as I sit here typing, I have lemon peels infusing in vodka for limoncello; quartered lemons infusing in a brine of their own juice and salt; rosemary infused in vinegar for a sharp salad dressing; orange blooms macerating in honey to flavor a mead; garlic and basil ground together in olive oil for pesto, a method which I suppose you can describe as expression of the essential oils of the herbs by the blender, which are then macerated in the olive oil. Hmm. Never thought about how much maceration goes on in my kitchen when I'm not around . How much is going on in yours? Bet you'll be surprised.

Macerating into oil is, I think, the weakest method of extracting flavor and aroma; most vulnerable to evaporaton of the essential oils, and to spoilage. That would be why the shelf life of macerated products is shorter. Alcohol and other solvents, not to mention steam distillation, do it much better. So - we just keep making small quantities, every so often.

Miriam

Edited January 22, 2007 by Miriam Kresh (log)

[Slow Lorus]

Kerry,

Did you arrive at your ratios through trial and error or did you reference a source that aided in your calculations?

I can just see myself going through numerous batches erring on the side of caution before finding the right balance with the flavorings. I'm pretty excited right now though...especially your mention of bergamot and chocolate, mmm!

Best,

SL

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry,

Did you arrive at your ratios through trial and error or did you reference a source that aided in your calculations?

I can just see myself going through numerous batches erring on the side of caution before finding the right balance with the flavorings.  I'm pretty excited right now though...especially your mention of bergamot and chocolate, mmm!

Best,

SL

←

Trial and error for sure. I add just until it tastes a bit too strong, then it will be strong enough to be tasted once molded.

So the bergamot and black pepper chocolate bars. Add 5 or 6 drops of oil of bergamot to 200 grams or so of white chocolate, along with a 1/2 tsp or so of coarsely ground black pepper (or 2 drops black pepper essential oil). Mold as little tasting bars or make as bark.

[Dave Weinstein]

I've been using the Boyajian expressed citrus oils for years; they are an enormously useful ingredient, especially when you want to set the flavor into a meat, rather than just in the sauce.

One caveat, citrus oils are quite bitter, so you'll need to balance that out.

[Slow Lorus]

Thanks Kerry, I'm excited to experiment now!

I just got back from a trip to SF and tasted a whole bunch of delicious items. I'm still recovering from the generosity of the samples available at Michael Recchiuti's. I did come away with a few boxes of treats but am torn between eating them myself or giving them away as gifts.

Best,

SL