How to Infuse Olive Oil

Infused olive oil adds flavor to salads, vegetables, breads and meats. Use it as a dressing, cooking oil or bread-dipping oil. Make your own infused olive oil at home with your favorite herbs and vegetables. Use one or multiple herbs and vegetables in your infused olive oil. Experiment with ingredients to create a new flavorful addition for your meals.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2 tbsp. dried herbs or 4 tbsp. fresh herbs or vegetables
• Small saucepan
• Funnel
• 8-oz. dark glass bottle with cap

Olive Oil Infused with Dried Spices

1. Put 2 tbsp. dried herbs or vegetables into a dark glass 8-oz. bottle. Popular choices are basil, oregano and red peppers.

2. Heat 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a sauce pan over low heat for 15 minutes.

3. Place a funnel in the top of the glass bottle.

4. Pour the heated extra-virgin olive oil through the funnel into the glass bottle.

5. Place the cap tightly on the glass bottle and store the olive oil spice mixture in a dark, cool place. After 1 week, the flavor of the spices will infuse into the olive oil.

Olive Oil Infused with Fresh Ingredients

6. Wash fresh ingredients in clean water and pat dry with a clean paper towel to remove any dirt or bacteria.

7. Puree or slice 4 oz. of fresh ingredients into small pieces. Popular ingredients for olive oil infusions are herbs, garlic and bell peppers.

8. Combine the pureed or sliced fresh ingredients with 8 oz. extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp. lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook the mixture over low heat for 15 minutes to infuse the flavors of the fresh ingredients with the olive oil.

9. Place a funnel into the top of an 8-oz. dark glass bottle.

10. Pour the mixture through the funnel into the glass bottle. Place the cap tightly onto the glass bottle.

11. Store the infused olive oil in the refrigerator and use within 1 week.

Tips & Warnings

• Adjust the amount of herbs or fresh ingredients that you use according to taste. Refrigerated olive oil will solidify. Solidification does not harm the olive oil. Once the oil is brought back to room temperature, it will liquefy.
• The Colorado State University Extension Safe Food Rapid Response Network warns that infused oils have the potential to support the growth of Clostridium (C.) botulinum. To reduce the risk of the development of botulism toxins when using fresh ingredients, always add lemon juice to the olive oil prior to heating the mixture. Never eat infused olive oil that looks or smells bad. Bad odor can mean the oil is contaminated with botulism. You should be especially cautious about botulism when making infused olive oil with fresh ingredients. If 8 oz. of infused olive oil is too much for you to use in one week, adjust the ingredients to make 25 or 50 percent less.

References

• Colorado State University Extension SafeFood Rapid Response Network - Oil Infusions and the Risk of Botulism

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