What does the process of infusing involve?

Infusing is a culinary technique that entails flavoring a liquid by incorporating aromatic ingredients, typically through the application of gentle heat. This process allows the flavors from herbs, spices, or other aromatic components to be extracted and meld with the liquid, creating a more complex and flavorful result. For instance, when making a flavored oil or stock, herbs and spices are combined with a liquid and heated to promote the transfer of their flavors into the liquid, resulting in a richer end product.

The other options do not accurately describe the infusing process. Cooling liquids involves no interaction with aromatic ingredients, and mixing solids into a liquid generally refers to a different method, such as steeping or blending. Boiling liquids without any additives lacks the key element of infusing, which is the intention to extract flavors from additional ingredients. Thus, the correct understanding of infusing centers around the enhancement of liquid through the gradual incorporation of flavors via gentle heating.