Hi,
I’m trying to develop a new flavoured oil product. I would prefer to use real ingredients if possible.
There are a couple of flavours I’m trying to develop, but there are some very important questions I don’t know the answer to. I’ll explain each type and the question as clearly as I can!
I would like to make a prawn flavoured oil, using heads and shells ideally. There is a chicken flavour, which would be kind of the flavour of a chicken stock wing rendered chicken fat and aromatics to make a chicken flavoured oil. I would also like to make one that is anchovy flavoured, using dried anchovies.
The problem is two things, I would like this to be able to be kept at room temp. My idea would be to clarify the oils and remove any solids, then pasteurize the clear oil. In theory it should kill any botulism or bacteria that could grow in the oil. Right? Could I acidify the fats to help kill bacteria? How much citric acid would I need by weight in theory for that to work if it is my only option? Will citric acid make it cloudy?
I’m worried that any proteins from the meat could cause the oil to go rancid at room temp.
The other worry is that the chicken fat would solidify at room temperature, even though I would be mixing it with neutral cooking oil 1:3.
Any help with how I can prepare these flavours and keep them safe to eat for a long time in a clarified oil form.
I hope to hear back!
Thank you!
The product seems very interesting. Are you producing a product that is stored in oil or you are producing the flavoured oils or both? First, pasturizing may destroy vegetative forms of the bacteria but not the spores! You should consider some form of sterilzation but only if you think the kind of storage you intent to use may encourgae the spores of Clostridium to grow. Second, acidification is encouraged in combination with other hundles to deal with Clostridium botulinum although in your case, if you are ealing with oils, am not sure this is the way to go. But in case you are preserving a product stored in oil, then it could be something you can explore.
As for rancidity, its difficult to stop it even in frozen storage, some additives such as sodium chloride actually facilitate the process, but nitrates can be used to returd the lipid oxidation. So curing may be useful if you are dealing with a product preserved in oil.
Oils are good keepers of flavours to ensure they can go for a long time without going rancid, you can consider adding antioxidants such as vitamin E.
Chicken fat will surely solidfy, mixing it with oil, well, this one i look forward to learning from you.