This article is a part of my free Exploring Sous Vide email course. If you want to discover how to consistently create amazing food using sous vide then my course is exactly what you're looking for. For a printed version of this course, you can purchase my Exploring Sous Vide cookbook.

How to Make Sous Vide Infusions

Using sous vide to make infusions was something that took me a while to get into, but once I did, I started to do it all the time! There's a lot of uses for infusions, from making flavored vinegar and oil to alcohols, syrups and specialty cocktails.

Benefits of Sous Vide Infusions

The biggest benefit to using sous vide to make an infusion is the speed it happens. In a traditional infusion, you may have to soak the flavoring agents for days, or sometimes months, to get the flavor you are looking for. With sous vide, this process can be done in a few hours.

You also have complete control over the infusion temperature, which allows you to extract different flavors into your infusions. Something infused at 130°F (54.4°C) will taste different than when it is infused at 185°F (85°C).

If you are interested in learning a lot more information about infusions, I wrote a cookbook all about them. It's called Modernist Cooking Made Easy: Infusions and it covers making traditional infusions as well as sous vide and whipping siphon infusions.

How to Infuse with Sous Vide

The sous vide infusion process is pretty simple. Combine a liquid you want to infuse, such as alcohol, vinegar, oil, or water with some flavoring agents like herbs, spices, or fruits. I generally combine them in a Mason jar, but bags work as well.

Place the infusion in a water bath, usually set to between 131°F and 176°F (55°C and 80°C). Let the infusion cook for about 1 to 3 hours, or up to 12 hours for some oil infusions.

Once cooked, remove the infusion from the water bath and chill it completely. Strain the infusion and it is ready to use.

I was really surprised how forgiving many of the sous vide infusions were. While most of my recipes needed tweaking, almost none of them didn't start off really good. So don't hesitate to experiment with different ingredients that sound good to you, I'm sure you'll love the results!

Sous Vide Infusion Recipes

Here are some of my favorite sous vide infusion recipes.

Sous Vide Infused Alcohol Recipes

• Black Cherry Infused Rye Recipe
• Apple Pie Bourbon Infusion Recipe
• Orange Vanilla Infused Vodka Recipe

Sous Vide Infused Vinegar Recipes

• Chile Pepper Fire Vinegar Infusion Recipe
• Cherry Vanilla Infused Balsamic Vinegar Recipe
• Carrot Beet Infused Vinegar Recipe

Sous Vide Infused Oil Recipes

• Taste of Italy Olive Oil Infusion Recipe
• Pepperoni Infused Oil Recipe

Other Sous Vide Infused Recipes

• Sarsaparilla Syrup Infusion Recipe
• Mole Bitters Infusion Recipe
• Wild Mushroom Infused Broth Recipe

Are there some favorite sous vide infusions you have made? Have any follow up questions you need answered? Let me know in the comments or on the Exploring Sous Vide Facebook group.

This article is a part of my free Exploring Sous Vide email course. If you want to discover how to consistently create amazing food using sous vide then my course is exactly what you're looking for. For a printed version of this course, you can purchase my Exploring Sous Vide cookbook.

Like What You've Read?

If so, please join the more than 19,000 people who receive my exclusive newsletter and get a FREE COPY of my printable modernist ingredient cheatsheet.
Just click on the green button below!

Get Started!

Did you enjoy this?
I'd really appreciate you sharing it with your friends: