Hot pepper oil

Clean bottles and allow to dry. Warm them up in hot water and keep them warm until you add the oil. This helps keep the bottles from breaking. You need to keep the inside dry though, so cork them and lay them in a dishpan with the top out of the water.

Clean and dry your peppers and tarragon. Heat your oil. This should be hot but not boiling.

Towel dry the bottle and put in your clean, dry peppers. Add some peppercorns. Now slowly pour some hot oil into the bottle stopping at the sound of sizzling. If you do not stop, you WILL break your bottle. Wait till the bubbling nearly stops and continue. This should only be a a few seconds to a minute. Fill the bottle to within an inch of top and add a sprig of fresh tarragon.

Lightly tap cork in place. Using hot pads hold the cork in place and turn bottle over once to coat the cork. Allow to cool overnight. Bottle will usually turn cloudy. This is normal for the cooling process.

Flavor strengthens the longer it sits but is ready to use in just a few short weeks.

Other suggestions for oils are: hot peppers with onions garlic and cloves rosemary sage basil cinnamon

I use the flavored oils in cooking anywhere I might add oil. Hot pepper oil is my favorite. I use it to stir-fry, fry or scramble eggs, fry potatoes. Herb oils are great for making salad dressing. I use the cinnamon oil in any chocolate cake or brownie recipes that call for oil. Mmmm. Watch for oil in any recipe and think of which homemade oil can be substituted to add a hint of flavor to ordinary food.

Flavored Vinegars

Try this! Mix your basil oil with your tarragon vinegar and add a few ground chives or oregano for a Grrreat salad dressing.