How to Extract Flavor From Spices
- 1). Sprinkle two to three tablespoons of a whole spice into a preheated saute pan over a medium-high flame. Stir constantly for two to four minutes. Turn off the heat as soon as you can smell the spices and see they have toasted slightly. Skip this procedure for any spices you are unable to find in their whole form.
- 2). Pour the toasted whole spice into a spice grinder. Pulse the toasted spices until they are a fine powder.
- 3). Put the ground spices into a clean glass jar. Add boiling water to the jar a few drops at a time until you have enough to turn the spices into a smooth but solid paste.
- 4). Add a cup of vegetable oil to the jar and seal the lid securely. Shake the jar vigorously for 90 seconds and place it in a cool, dark and dry place like a pantry or closed cabinet for two days.
- 5). Place a folded piece of cheesecloth in the center of a colander and lower the lined colander into a large mixing bowl.
- 6). Open the small jar and pour the spice-infused oil through the cheesecloth in a slow, steady stream. Lift out the colander so the strained oil can be moved to a small air-tight glass or plastic container. Seal the extracted spice oil and use it withing two months.
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