Infusing and Steeping
It’s easy to use “steeping” and “infusing” interchangeably in writing, but on a more technical level, you can infuse flavor into something by steeping an ingredient. Steeping means soaking an ingredient in a liquid of choice (we steep in oil, vinegar, or water) for a certain amount of time to extract its soluble flavors. Often this involves heat—at some level below the boiling point—since steeping benefits from slow extraction. Flavor molecules dissolve to a greater extent in a warm solvent (such as fat or oil) than a cold one. Heat coaxes flavor out of spices and allows their complexity to blossom.
Infusing brings out interesting, complex flavors.
These flavors don’t develop when the spice is simply stirred in. In fact, even blooming isn’t always enough to do this. It’s all about time. The longer a spice or seasoning steeps, the more flavor is extracted and imparted to the liquid, often until the spice is completely spent. Spiced oils are a favorite example; we tasted fennel in a new way once we steeped seeds in warm oil. Its flavor became less pungent and more floral than we could’ve imagined. Check out the video lesson on spice-infused oils to learn how to make it, or try the Sichuan Chili Oil featured in the video here.
Harness the flavors of spices.
Steep chiles in vinegar for a shelf-stable condiment that’s ready to go whenever you crave something with a splash of pungent heat. Find our Hot Pepper Vinegar recipe here, or try your hand at making your own Vanilla Extract.
When seasonings steep, flavors meld.
Instead of a spice standing out in bold contrast to other ingredients, it blends in to encourage flavors that are amazingly complex but also balanced. There are a bunch of spices in our Chipotle Ketchup, but none overpowers the others because their brash properties mellow with time and their complexities bloom, and of course the chipotle chile adds sultry, smoky heat. You can also learn to use aleppo peppers, along with a handful of other spices, to make your own Harissa.
