INGREDIENTS
Lemon-Infused Olive Oil
2 whole lemons
½ cup olive oil
1 4-oz glass bottle with cork
Rosemary-Infused Olive Oil
3-4 sprigs rosemary
½ cup olive oil
1 4-oz glass bottle with cork
Chili-Infused Olive Oil
1 tbsp red chili flakes
1 to 2 whole, dried Thai chilies (Optional -- I wanted to add these for additional flavor/visual appeal, but my grocery store was out.)
½ cup olive oil
1 4-oz glass bottle with cork
Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
½ to ¾ cup whole, peeled garlic cloves *
Juice from ¼ lime
1 to 2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 4-oz glass bottles with cork
DIRECTIONS
To make the lemon-infused olive oil:
Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, carefully strip one lemon of its zest. Try to keep each strip long and wide, and avoid getting any of the bitter white pith underneath. Stuff zest strips into your bottle. Set aside.
Zest your second lemon, and set aside. (It's not as important to make the zesting pretty with this lemon. Just make sure you're only getting the zest, and not the pith.)
In a sauce pan, heat olive oil until a few small bubbles start forming. (If your oil starts smoking, take it off the stove and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.)
Scoop zest from second lemon into the warm olive oil. Let it steep for about 30 minutes.
Carefully pour the lemony oil into your bottle over the uncooked strips of lemon zest, making sure not to get any of the cooked lemon zest get in. Don't overfill.
Cork the bottle and store in the refrigerator.
Serve drizzled over salads, or in everyday cooking. (Use and/or throw out within 10-14 days.)
To make the rosemary-infused olive oil:
Stuff rosemary sprigs into your glass bottle. Set aside.
In a sauce pan, heat olive oil until a few small bubbles start forming. (If your oil starts smoking, take it off the stove and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.)
Carefully pour warm oil into the bottle over rosemary. Don't overfill.
Cork the bottle and store in the refrigerator.
Serve with bread, drizzled over salads, or in everyday cooking. (Use and/or throw out within 10-14 days.)
To make the chili-infused olive oil:
Pour chili flakes into your glass bottle. Set aside.
In a sauce pan, heat olive oil until a few small bubbles start forming. (If your oil starts smoking, take it off the stove and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.)
Carefully pour warm oil into the bottle over the chili flakes. Don't overfill.
Cork the bottle and store in the refrigerator.
Serve with bread, drizzled over salads, or in everyday cooking.
To make the garlic-infused olive oil:
Put the cloves in a bowl with the lime juice. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Reserving the juice for later, drain the lime juice from the cloves.
Spread out the garlic cloves in one layer in a small baking dish.
Pour enough olive oil over the garlic so that the cloves are completely immersed.
Roast in a hot oven for 30-45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Cloves will darken as they cool. Scoop the cloves from the oil into a bowl using a slotted spoon.
Pour the reserved lime juice over the cloves with ½ cup your oil and stir to combine.
Pack garlic cloves in an airtight container. Pour enough of the oil over the roasted cloves to cover. Refrigerate until you need to use roasted garlic in other recipes. (I like it smeared on bread)
Strain the remaining oil into your (clean, sterilized) glass bottle and use as garlic infused olive oil.
