Herb-infused flavored oils for cooking, such as basil, rosemary, or garlic oil, are widely available at high-end grocery stores and specialty cooking shops, but they can be very expensive and don't always have a true, robust herbal flavor. They are often processed and may have been sitting on a shelf for months. Fortunately, herb-flavored oils are very easy to make yourself either from the herbs you grow or purchase. They are wonderful to cook with, and when decanted into pretty bottles, they're always welcome as gifts.
It is best to choose sprigs of herbs that do not require washing. The total prep time reflects that the oil needs to steep for one week to ensure maximum flavor.
Steps to Make It
Gather your ingredients, as well as jars for storing the oil.
Shake off any soil from the herbs and check for any insects. If you must clean your herbs, rinse them off and give them several hours to thoroughly dry before using. Any water left on the herbs will impede their contact with the oil.
Sterilize clean glass bottles or jars by boiling them in water for 10 minutes. Allow the jars to dry thoroughly.
Slightly bruise your herbs with a wooden roller to release their oils. Add the herbs to the bottles. You don’t need a large quantity of herbs; depending on the pungency and freshness of the herbs, a sprig or two should sufficiently infuse the oil.
Heat the oil over low heat in a saucepan just until warm.
Carefully pour the oil into the bottles, over the herbs. Allow the contents to cool.
If you used fresh herbs, you will need to strain them out of the oil by pouring the oil from the bottle through a strainer or coffee filter, and into a new bottle. Dried herbs can remain in the oil, but the oil will stay fresh a bit longer if they are also strained out.
Once the herbs are removed, seal the bottles with lids or corks. Allow them to sit in a cool spot out of direct sunlight for about one week before using.
