DIY Infused Olive Oil

With a little extra time on my hands, I decided to experiment in the kitchen and play around with infusing olive oil. There are a few staples in my kitchen that I continuously cook with and olive oil is one of them. Previously, I’ve used store bought infused olive oil and became very fond of how their flavor had enhanced my cooking. Pure extra virgin olive oil is my favorite. However, it is recommended that you use a lighter version olive oil since the extra virgin has a stronger flavor. The directions will not change depending on the herb you choose. This will allow you to have a little fun playing around with your favorites. Depending on your taste buds, you can experiment with the strength of flavor by adding more or less herbs to your mixture.

I first saw the recipe on foodal.com and instantly I knew I had to give it a try. Once you find your personal favorite, you can then experiment by combining herbs such as oregano and basil, or thyme and rosemary.

First, I started with making a basil infused olive oil. I know I will come up with several ways to use it. For example, you could use it to prepare fish, make a vinaigrette for your salad dressing, in pasta dishes, and of course for bread dipping. Below is my adapted version

Ingredients for Basil Infused Olive Oil

• 2 cups olive oil
• ¾ cup fresh chopped fresh basil

Directions

Mix the herb leaves with the oil in a small pan. Place on stove and cook on a very low heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Be sure not to let it bubble. It just needs to get heated through. Over cooking could cause it to taste bitter. Remove from the stove and let it set for about 30 minutes. Strain and store in an airtight container.

Lemon Infused Olive Oil

I originally found this particular version on The Spruce Eats. and, as I mentioned earlier you can change up the recipe to your liking depending on the density of flavor that suits your taste buds. Most of these oils will keep around a week to ten days in an airtight container 

Ingredients

• The zest of one large lemon
• 1 cup of olive oil

The Directions are the same as above. I immediately used this oil to baste lamb chops before grilling them, and they were delicious! You could use this oil on streamed vegetables, in salad dressings, drizzle on roasted potatoes, and on fish.

This is the easiest way to enhance the flavor of any meal! I’m thinking next about trying garlic, or cilantro infused oil. Later this week I’ll be sharing a pasta dish I prepared with broccoli, red peppers, grilled chicken, the lemon infused oil. 

bon appetit