How to Make an Herb Infused Oil
- allhealthadvisory
- Sep 10, 2023
- 2 min read
Herbal oils are quite versatile, they can be used for adding flavor to dishes, as a massage oil for aching muscles, or as an ingredient for salves or lotions! Making an infused oil is much easier than it sounds.
Infused oils can be made by two different ways.
sun infusion method
double boiler method
Whichever method you use, first pick a base oil that you like. You could use any oil, but olive oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil are all great choices. Use 1 cup of oil for 1oz of dried herbs.
What herbs are best to use?
Any spice will infuse well, because the essential oils that give it its aroma will blend well with the base oil. Rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram are all great for infused oils to use for cooking. More bitter herbs can be used if the oil will be made into salves or lotions, like plantain, yarrow, or boneset.
A sun infused oil is made by simply mixing your base oil with the herbs you're using and allowing it to sit on a windowsill in the sun until you feel it's ready to be strained. Starting the infusion on a new moon and straining on a full moon is always best.
Using the double boiler method to infuse the oil is much faster, only taking about an hour.
A double boiler is ideal, but a small pot with a bowl that fits well on top without letting steam through works too!
Add water to the bottom part of the double boiler, and put the pot on medium heat. Add the oil and dried herbs to the top pot, stir occasionally. When the oil starts to simmer, turn the heat to low. Let it simmer for 45 minutes, then take it off the heat. When it has cooled slightly, strain through thick cheesecloth or a flour sack towel. Pour into bottles and let cool more before capping.
Congratulations! You have just made an infused oil!
Here's the recipe summarized:
Infused oil:
1 cup base oil
1 oz dried herbs
A sun infusion can be made by simply adding the herbs to a jar and allowing to sit in sunlight for 4 to 6 weeks, or until the next full moon. Alternatively, warm the oil and hand-crushed herbs in a double boiler on barely simmering heat for 45 minutes (longer is better, especially for roots) Strain off the herbs, the resulting liquid is an herbal infused oil.
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