Oils can be THE most flavorful and enhancing part of any meal, so why not make your own just the way you like it? Add intense and indulgent flavor to every meal and boost your daily essential fatty acids, omega 3’s, and mineral uptake at the same time.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Roasted Elephant Garlic Infused Oils
How to use it: Drizzle over popcorn, pasta, and salads.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups extra virgin olive oil (32 ounces)
- 1 head (4-5 cloves) of elephant garlic
- ½ teaspoon Real Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In an oven proof dish place cloves of 1 whole head of elephant garlic after separating and peeling each one.
- Roast in oven for 30-35 minutes until garlic is golden. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- With a slotted spoon, slightly mash cooked garlic until juices just begin to show.
- Pour oil into a mixing bowl and add garlic.
- With masher, press down on garlic until mostly the pulp remains and juices are expressed into the oil.
- Remove garlic remains. Add salt and stir until all salt is dissolved
- Using a funnel, pour oil into bottle and store refrigerated.
Citrus Splash
How to use it: Add to marinades, drizzle over fish or shrimp, as salad dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil (28 ounces)
- ½ cup safflower oil
- 4 strips lemon peel
- 3 strips tangerine peel
- 2 strips lime peel
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6-8 raspberries
- 1 length of lemon grass (top and bottom stalk removed & cut into 3 inch sections)
Instructions
- With a potato peeler, stripoff pieces citrus skins.
- Heat a small sauce pan over medium, add safflower oil, citrus peels, lemon grass, and thyme stirring often, and cook 6-8 minutes over medium-low heat to infuse citrus oils into mixture, do not let it smoke.
- Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile slightly press raspberries in a small bowl, just enough to release juice.
- Add to oil/citrus mixture and let stand 4 hours, until completely cooled.
- Add to olive oil and mix well.
- With slotted spoon, remove citrus peels, raspberries, thyme and lemon grass.
- With a funnel pour into re-sealable bottle, store refrigerated.
Rosemary Rush
How to use it: Add to salad dressing, drizzle over potatoes or rice, as toast topping.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups extra virgin olive oil (32 ounces)
- 8 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 2-4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- 1 dried cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Soak mustard seeds overnight in 1/2 cup water. Then pour through strainer, set aside.
- Place rosemary on a board and roll with rolling pin, or cover with cloth and hammer lightly with tenderizing tool, just until oils and juices are released (will have strong aroma). Repeat with thyme sprigs.
- If opening of olive oil bottle is large enough, put all ingredients into bottle. Cover and shake twice daily for 2 weeks.
- If not, pour oil into coverable mixing bowl or jar, add all ingredients, cover and let stand for 2 weeks, mixing two times daily. Strain oil from herbs before use.
- With a funnel pour into re-sealable bottle, store refrigerated.
Basil Zinger
A finishing touch for grilled vegetables or fish, salads, or pasta.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil (28ounces)
- ½ cup safflower oil
- 2 large stems of fresh basil leaves (15-20 leaves) sliced lengthwise
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 clove elephant garlic; peeled and chopped
Instructions
- Heat a small sauce pan over medium, add safflower oil, then add basil, thyme and garlic.
- Stirring occasionally, cook for 6-8 minutes over medium-low heat, do not let it smoke.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 2 hours.
- Strain oil through mesh screen to remove herbs.
- Add to olive oil and mix well. With a funnel pour into re-sealable bottle, store refrigerated.
Herbal Blast
Drizzle over vegetables, popcorn, or pasta, add to marinades, as salad dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3½ cups cups extra virgin olive oil (28 ounces)
- ½ cup safflower oil
- 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove elephant garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried cayenne peppers
- 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds
Instructions
- Stirring occasionally, cook for 6-8 minutes over medium-low heat, do not let it smoke.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 4 hours.
- Strain oil through mesh screen to remove herbs. Add to olive oil and mix well.
- With a funnel pour into re-sealable bottle, store refrigerated
