Pistachio Oil

Pistachios are by far my favorite nut, and buying pistachio oil can get very expensive. I use a small handful of parsley to get a vibrant green color into the oil and then let the  pistachios do the rest.

Pistachio Oil

2C Pistachios (shelled)

3C Grapeseed oil or another mild oil

2C Parsley (stems and leaves)

• Combine the oil and pistachios in a pot and heat to 150°F. This will help the pistachios release their natural oils and flavors. Oil heats very quickly so be careful and watch your thermometer.
• Prepare an ice bath and a metal container to pour the hot oil into.
• Place parsley in a high-speed blender such as a Vita-mix, food processors work but they need to run longer.
• Pour the hot oil and pistachios over the parsley and blend until very smooth and the oil turns green. Be very careful when blending hot liquids in a high-speed blender! The heat can cause the liquid to shoot the top off of a blender if not used properly. Variable speed blenders are recommended so you can start slow and step up to high-speed.
• Once the oil is green, immediately pour it into a metal container in the ice bath. This will prevent the parsley from turning black and in turn ruining the oil.
• Prepare a strainer or china cap with a coffee filter and once the oil has cooled, pour it carefully through the coffee filter. This may need to be done in multiple steps depending on the size of your filters.
• Place the oil in the refrigerator over night while it strains. Infused oils should always be stored in the refrigerator to prevent bacteria from forming. The straining process can take 1-2 days but let it strain at its own speed for optimal flavor.

The strained pistachio oil looks very similar to freshly pressed olive oil.