Sous Vide herbal infusions

lmrebert
lmrebert Posts: 363 ✭✭✭✭
edited November 2020 in Herbal Medicine-Making

Has anyone tried this with mason jars? Just got my hands on a sous vide

Comments

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @lmrebert What is a sous vide? I make infused oils in Mason jars. I take dried plant material that I am interested in using and then cover with Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). I use a quart Ball Mason jar. I put into a brown paper bag and shake daily (well at least when I am in town). I let it sit for a couple of months and then use a stainless steel funnel to add to its temporary resting jar. I then bottle when I am ready to sell.

    And I do not chop or process the plant material other than the drying.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @Obiora E Sous vide is a cooking method where you poach things in a water bath generally using a sealed plastic bag to hold your food. There are now sous vide machines on the market so that the water is kept at precisely the right temperature. If you are making an oil that requires heat or if you are in more of a hurry for your oil, then this would work well but is a more expensive solution. I just use a double boiler method with my mason jars, similar to the video but set the pot of water on the back of my wood cook stove. If the stove isn't going (too hot in the summer), I will use my slow cooker full of water and just watch the temperature. But some flowers are too delicate for heat so a cold infusion such as the way you are doing it is excellent. That is how I make my Arnica oil as well as many of the others (St. John's Wort, Mullein, etc.).

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @torey Thank you for the information on sous vide!

  • lmrebert
    lmrebert Posts: 363 ✭✭✭✭

    I like that the sous vide allows u to control the temp... haven’t done it yet... hoping for some feedback from ppl that may have done it... since I have access to the equipment!!

  • lmrebert
    lmrebert Posts: 363 ✭✭✭✭
  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I continue to be troubled by the fact that this method requires you to cook in plastic.