Infuse

To infuse is to extract flavour, aroma or other soluble components from an ingredient by steeping it in a liquid. The liquid may be hot or cold and can include water, milk, cream, oil, syrup, stock or alcohol. The infused ingredient is usually strained out, although some preparations retain it.

Hot and cold infusion

• Hot infusion: warm liquid extracts flavour more quickly from ingredients such as tea, herbs, spices, citrus peel and vanilla.
• Cold infusion: ingredients steep in a cool liquid over a longer period, often producing a gentler or different flavour profile.

Common culinary examples

Vanilla infused in milk for crème anglaise, tea leaves infused in cream for ganache, rosemary infused into oil, citrus peel infused in syrup and spices infused into stock are all examples of the technique.

Controlling an infusion

Temperature, time, ingredient size and the ratio of ingredient to liquid affect the result. Excessive heat or steeping time can extract bitterness or unwanted flavours from herbs, tea and spices. Use clean equipment and control time and temperature when preparing infusions for storage.

Chef’s tip: Taste at intervals and strain when the desired intensity is reached. Label and refrigerate perishable dairy or other infused liquids according to the kitchen’s food-safety procedures.

Key distinction: Infusion extracts flavour by steeping. Reduction concentrates a liquid by evaporating water; the two techniques can be combined but are not the same.