These Herbal Oils May Be Easy to Make, but Are Big on Flavor (2024)

  • Cooking School
  • Ingredient Information

By

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti is an author, photographer, and speaker with 27 years of experience as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator and Master Gardener.

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Updated on 07/29/21

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These Herbal Oils May Be Easy to Make, but Are Big on Flavor (1)

Prep: 169 hrs

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 169 hrs 20 mins

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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.

Ingredients

  • Fresh or dried herbs of your choice

  • Light cooking oil, such as vegetable, canola, or virgin olive oil

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Shake off any soil from herbs and check for any insects. If you must clean herbs, rinse off and give them several hours to thoroughly dry before using. Any water left on herbs will impede contact with oil.

  3. Sterilize clean glass bottles or jars by boiling in water for 10 minutes. Allow the jars to dry thoroughly.

  4. Slightly bruise herbs with a wooden roller to release oils. Add herbs to bottles. You don’t need a large quantity of herbs; depending on pungency and freshness of herbs, a sprig or two should sufficiently infuse oil.

  5. Heat oil over low heat in a saucepan just until warm.

  6. Carefully pour oil into bottles over herbs. Allow contents to cool.

  7. If using fresh herbs, strain them out of oil by pouring oil from bottle through a strainer or coffee filter and into a new bottle.Dried herbscan remain in oil, but oil will stay fresh a bit longer if theyare also strained out.

  8. Once herbs are removed, seal bottles with lids or corks. Allow them to sit in a cool spot out of direct sunlight for about one week before using.

Variations

  • The lighter the oil flavor, the more pronounced the herb flavor will be. While extra-virgin olive oil is a kitchen favorite, it has a very pronounced flavor of its own. Lighter olive oil or something like virgin olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil are better choices.
  • Good choices for herbal oil infusions include basil, bay leaves, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, savory, tarragon, and thyme. You could also add things like citrus peel for even more flavor.

Notes on Food Safety for Infused Oils

  • Always start with clean, dry herbs and sterilized jars or bottles. Do not use herbs that show any sign of mold.It is crucial when preserving any type of food that you alwaysfollow the processing instructions specified in the recipe and adhere to the USDA guidelines on how to sterilize jars and other products for canning.
  • Homemade oils do not stay fresh as long as processed oils, and they will need to be used within a short time after opening. Flavored oils should be used within twomonths. Straining out the herbs and refrigerating the oil will help the oil last longer. Many gift recipients won’t want to use it up quickly, so be sure to put a "use by" date on the label and remind them the oil won’t stay fresh for long.
  • Ingredient Information
  • Food Preservation Basics
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
127Calories
14g Fat
1g Carbs
0g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories127
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g18%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 1g0%
Dietary Fiber 1g2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg2%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 1mg4%
Potassium 14mg0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • oil
  • herbs
  • infused oils
  • herb infused oils

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Article Sources

The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. United States, Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Complete Guide to Home Canning. Revised 2015. Prepper Press, 2017.

These Herbal Oils May Be Easy to Make, but Are Big on Flavor (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil for making herbal oils? ›

There are various oils you can use - Sunflower, Grape Seed, Almond, Jojoba and a few more but for this basic recipe use Sunflower Oil. Sunflower oil has a light aroma and just a slightly yellow in colour. It contains antioxidant vitamins A, D & E.

What is an oil with herbs called? ›

Surely known in very ancient times, macerated herbal oils, also called medicinal oils or oil tinctures, are extracts of medicinal and aromatic plants obtained by the solvent action of an appropriate vegetable fat oil.

Can you make flavoring oil? ›

You can infuse oil with just about anything. Our top picks include fresh or dried herbs, spices, garlic, peppers, and citrus zest. Use olive oil if you want a hint of olive flavor or canola for something more neutral.

How long does homemade herbal oil last? ›

Once done, transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to a week (sometimes a little longer- keep an eye on it!)

How do you make potent herbal infused oil? ›

Cold Infusion

One or two tablespoons of dried herbs will add flavor to one cup of oil. Add them to the oil and mix them together. You can let the mixture sit in a cool, dark place for several weeks so the flavors can blend together. You can taste it during this time and add more spices if you want a stronger flavor.

How do you get the most flavor out of herbs? ›

Herbs have thin walls and rehydrate quickly with whatever moisture is present in a dish. Rehydrating them during cooking allows the flavors of the herb to release into the dish, infusing your food with as much flavor as possible.

What herbs add flavor? ›

Powerful herbs and spices: 25 alternatives to salt and sugar
  • Mint. Taste: A bright and refreshing herb that works in sweet and savoury dishes. ...
  • Rosemary. Taste: An aromatic herb with a pine-like fragrance. ...
  • Nutmeg. Taste: Sweet and pungent flavour. ...
  • Basil. Taste: Sweet and peppery. ...
  • Cardamom. ...
  • Chilli/Cayenne. ...
  • Cinnamon. ...
  • Chives.

How long can you keep herb oil? ›

“The garlic and herbs must be acidified before being added to the oil because botulism toxin will not develop in an acid medium,” she said. “Other methods of infusing oil at home result in a product that must be used within two to four days at room temperature or no more than three months in the refrigerator.

What herbs dissolve in oil? ›

37 products
  • Rosemary Liquid Extract Oil Soluble. Sale. ...
  • Aloe Vera Liquid Extract Oil Soluble. Sale. ...
  • Retha Liquid Extract Water Soluble. Sale. ...
  • Lemon Peel Liquid Extract Oil Soluble. ...
  • Strawberry Liquid Extract Oil Soluble. ...
  • Sea Buckthorn Liquid Extract Oil soluble. ...
  • White Tea Liquid Extract Oil Soluble. ...
  • Tulsi Liquid Extract Oil Soluble.

How to extract oil from herbs at home? ›

The easiest way to make essential oil is by using the distillation process, wherein you use the steam that rises when you heat your herb or the plant that you're going to make the essential oil from. As you heat the plant, vapour rises up a narrow pipe and goes into the cool water.

What flower gives oil? ›

Sunflower contains some black seeds in it. These seeds are crushed and oil is extracted. Sunflower oil is one of the commonly used cooking oils in India.

Which oil is best for flavor? ›

Toasted Nut and Other Seed Oils (Walnut Oil, Pistachio Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil…) These oils are delicate and have a low smoke point, so don't heat them at all. But they're big on flavor!

What is the best oil to infuse herbs with? ›

Olive oil complements the flavor of herbs and garlic. If you prefer the herb flavor predominate, use a milder oil such as canola oil. Olive oil and canola oil contain fewer polyunsaturated fatty acids than many other vegetable oils and will turn rancid less quickly.

How do you extract natural flavor? ›

Extract flavor from natural ingredients using these three techniques: Infusion, Maceration, and Fermentation.

What is the best carrier oil for making essential oils? ›

Some of the most commonly used carrier oils are grapeseed, jojoba, coconut and apricot kernel oils, as these oils are typically similar in structure to our skin's natural sebums and therefore absorb easily and don't cause clogged pores or breakouts.

What is the best oil to use for tinctures? ›

Coconut, MCT, or olive oil are the best oils for tinctures. Avoid alcohol-based tinctures (isopropyl alcohol, grain alcohol, etc.). Infusing cannabis into olive oil is great for adding to recipes. Infusing cannabis into coconut oil is great for applying to the skin.

What is the best way to extract oil from herbs? ›

Water distillation, water and steam distillation, steam distillation, cohobation, maceration and enfleurage are the most traditional and commonly used methods.

What oils are best for making CBD oil? ›

MCT oil. As one of the most common carrier oils for CBD products, MCT oil, or medium-chain triglycerides,is a type of fatty acid that your body can quickly absorb because it does not have to break down via digestion before sending it off to the lymph system.

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