Most essential oils are able to be found in our own bathroom cabinets which we use for many beauty and health reasons. For those who don t own essential oils or have never tried these oils, maybe you need to hear about all the great benefits but just haven t had the opportunity to try them. There are many articles and e books available online on the topic of essential oil uses. Many people use them through aromatherapy methods, in baths, or as a skin massage oils. Essential oils not only smell great, they also taste wonderful in raw foods. Many of these oils aid in digestion problems while killing bacteria at the same time. To cook with essential oils, you don t need to use very much. A couple of drops is enough for six people.
You can find most essential oils in your local health food or grocery store. It is good to ask the employees whether the essential oils they have in stock are genuine or artificially flavored. Essential oils typically have a shelf life of one year or so. When purchasing citrus oils, remember these oils do not last as long as others so you should probably buy these in small quantities.
By flavoring your food with essential oils in raw food cooking, you will get the most distinct flavor. Any food items which are blended or uncooked are best with these oils. If you choose to use these oils in cooked foods, you should only dash the food with oil before serving, not while cooking. You should also serve the dishes in glassware because plastic and metal may cause the oils to have a reaction. Try only using one drop and taste your food before adding more. Essential oils are extremely concentrated so very little is needed per serving. You will probably only need two drops at the most unless you are serving your food in bake ware. Bake ware tends to cause the oils to evaporate.
To make extracts, carriers are used. Essential oils must be diluted due to their potency. Many times, an extract of the oil will be better than the pure oil because there is not as much potency to the quality of taste. Oil, glycerin, and alcohol are excellent carriers. Wheat germ, avocado, almond, canola, olive, sweet almond, sesame, peanut, safflower are all excellent carrier oils. You can ask which ones are best to use with cooking.
Scented waters are called hydro sols. These are hard to find. You will more than likely find these are much more mild and safe to cook with compared to essential oils. You can compare their strength to tea. For each meal, you can use an ounce or so. For flavoring purposes, one teaspoon for each cup is adequate. Try using hydro sols in ice cream or creamy beverages as this is very delicious. Lavender and rosemary hydrosols are the hardest to find. You can probably find orange blossom and rose very easily. Always purchase all natural products and remember to use these in uncooked foods.
Author Resource:
Sara Ryan writes regularly for http://www.tirmassagestone.com , they carry such Pure Essential Oils as Lavender Oil, among many others.