Can You Flavor Ferments With Essential Oils? #AskWardee 109

Last week, I shared my top 5 essential oils to use in cooking and how to do it…

…and now, Meagan is asking if you can flavor ferments with essential oils.

Ah, good question!

Can you? And more importantly, should you?

I’m sharing my answer on today’s #AskWardee. I think it will surprise you.

Read, listen, or watch below!

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Q: Can You Flavor Ferments With Essential Oils?

Meagan H. asked:

Can you use essential oils to flavor veggie or fruit ferments? If so, at what stage of the process would you add EOs?

First… Is It Safe To Use Essential Oils In Cooking?

Here’s more info on safely ingesting essentials for culinary and medicinal purposes. Done properly, it can be safe. And, we always advise to play it safe wherever there is doubt (especially with infants, children, and pregnancy).

Also, keep in mind that essential oils should only be added to recipes containing some fat. Because they are an oil and oils only mix with other oils (fats), this guarantees that they will be diluted throughout the dish.

By the way, we’re talking about high-quality, therapeutic grade essential oils like those from my preferred sources, Rocky Mountain Oils or Aroma Foundry.

If you’d like to go more in-depth on essential oil usage and safety, be sure to register for a FREE 10-part video class on essential oils put on by my good friends Dr. Eric Z and his wife Sabrina. It’s coming up soon, so register now right here. They’re sharing tips and information for making healing remedies for your body and non-toxic natural recipes for your home… all with essential oils!

Can You Add Them To Your Ferments As Flavoring?

I’m sorry, but I’m going to say no… and here are two reasons why.

Remember how I said that you should use essential oils only in recipes containing some fat? Our fruit and veggie ferments generally don’t have fat. So, that’s just not a safe way to ingest essential oils.

And if that weren’t enough, most essential oils have such strong anti-microbial properties that I would be afraid they would disrupt a successful fermentation and/or reduce the probiotic benefits.

Now, I haven’t done any lab testing — it’s purely my own logical thinking. I would be happy to have information otherwise. But, it still doesn’t change the fact that fruit and veggie ferments don’t have enough fat to dilute the essential oils safely.

Having Said That…

I can see where it would be okay (as long as you are comfortable with consuming essential oils — see above) to make a smoothie or salad where your ferment is one of the ingredients as well as essential oils for extra flavor.

Examples:

Say you make this 5-spice apple chutney and put some in a smoothie. If the smoothie has fat in it, either added or in the yogurt/kefir, add a drop or two of essential oil for extra flavor. Blend and enjoy!

Or, make a salad with old-fashioned fermented pickles or sauerkraut as one of the ingredients. And the salad dressing (which includes fat) can also include a drop of essential oil.

In these examples, you’re adding essential oils to a dish containing fats, as one of the ingredients — not as part of the ferment itself. Make sense?

More Information?

I’ve been given the green light to invite you to a free 10-part video class on essential oils put on by my good friend Dr. Eric Z and his wife Sabrina. It’s coming up soon, so register now right here.

In this video series — “Essential Oils For Abundant Living” — they’re sharing tips and information for making healing remedies for your body and non-toxic natural recipes for your home… all with essential oils!

Here’s what they’re covering:

• Lesson 1: Aromatherapy Quick-Start Guide
• Lesson 2: Inhalation Guide & Safety Tips
• Lesson 3: Topical Application Guide & Safety Tips
• Lesson 4: Internal Use Guide & Safety Tips
• Lesson 5: DIY Body Care Products
• Lesson 6: DIY Cleaning Products
• Lesson 7: Cooking with Essential Oils
• Lesson 8: Preventing Disease with Essential Oils
• Lesson 9: Treating Disease with Essential Oils
• Lesson 10: Advanced Strategies & Protocols

Click here to save your seat! It’s FREE!

Finally, always choose high-quality oils, such as the oils from our recommended sources, Rocky Mountain Oils and Aroma Foundry. They’re top-notch and affordable.

Helpful Links

• Rocky Mountain Oils and Aroma Foundry — my preferred essential oils
• FREE “Essential Oils For Abundant Living” 10-Part Video Masterclass — Hurry! It starts soon!
• Book: Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragrance

Looking for other great essential oil posts? Enjoy these!

• How to Organize and Store Essential Oils
• Is It Safe To Ingest Essential Oils? {medicinal & culinary use}
• Using Essential Oils In Cooking #AskWardee 039
• Top 5 Essential Oils For Cooking (+ how to use them!) #AskWardee 108
• Top 5 Essential Oils For Gut Health {relieve nausea, heartburn, gas, & more!}
• Top 5 Essential Oils For Adrenal Support
• Top 5 Essential Oils For Women
• Top 5 Essential Oils For Men

What do you think? Essential oils in ferments or not?

Disclaimer: At Traditional Cooking School, we recommend using only pure, therapeutic grade essential oils such as those from Rocky Mountain Oils and Aroma Foundry and those generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration. The information provided by this website is intended for educational and informational purposes only. This post or the essential oils mentioned therein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult a qualified aromatherapist when using essential oils for any purpose. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using these products.