Forgive me if this isn't the right sub for this, does anyone have any idea what this film on top of my chilli oil could be? I made it yesterday and transferred it to the fridge as soon as it had cooled down. Smells and tastes absolutely fine. Chilli flakes, fermented soy bean cake, cheong, spices, aromat powder, mixed together and finished with 200°C peanut oil. TIA. 🙂
by maj0xd
7 Comments
That’s the flavor film
So?
Idk what the film is, it could be a contaminant either in the oil or one of the other ingredients but not sure. Your recipe sounds great! I got scared off making my own chilli oil when people started suggesting that it could potentially cause botulism but I’m not sure how true/likely that is
It’s perfectly fine. There’s a thin top layer that interacts with light in a unique way. [Thin film interference.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film_interference)
This is the same phenomenon that you might have seen on the road when a car’s engine leaks oil.
It is however, different than the iridescent effect roast beef gives off.
I always get that on my chili oil and I’m not dead yet!
I always guessed it was some other oil than the base oil that is a lower density, but not enough so to separate completely.
Two things:
1) cover it
2) don’t store it in the fridge, but in a cool, dry place away from sunlight
Looks normal to me but. If you’re sure everything was clean in the process it’s fine. Probably just a thin film effect from a layer of oil that rose to the top.