How to Make Flavored Herbal Oils for Cooking

8 Method Steps

Step 1

Gather the ingredients.

Step 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.

Step 3

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

Step 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.

Step 5

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

Step 6

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

Step 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 herbs can remain in oil, but oil will stay fresh a bit longer if they are also strained out.

Step 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.