Elm Farm

Family owned & farmed in Marshfield, MO

Herb Infused Olive Oil

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Garlic & olive oil have a tumultuous relationship. A little googling can thoroughly freak you out, if you’re interested in some rabbit holes to add to your morning cup of coffee. We each have to journey through our own discovery of what level of comfort we preserve with.

If you’re an old fashioned preserver, you might enjoy this infused olive oil for much longer than a month in your fridge. If you have botulism concerns, you might choose to omit the garlic entirely. Acidifying the fresh herbs and garlic in citric acid prior to storing in olive oil might be a good option for you.

We’ve all heard that just because grandma got away with it, doesn’t mean we should try. But I’ve definitely not killed my family and left this oil at room temp for an undisclosed amount of time. (You should also look into fermenting garlic cloves in a salt brine so you can do even more fun things with infusions). Either way, it’s delicious and you should give it a go for your next gathering. It only takes a short time for the flavors to start saturating the oil, making the most delightful bread dip, so you probably won’t have any leftovers to store anyway.

But if you’re really, truly freaked out about botulism, I hope you reach out to an avid and experienced canner and have an honest conversation. I know they can put your mind at ease with some quick stats and a trip down to their beautifully stocked pantry.

And if you’re positively, absolutely against refrigerated or counter top infused oils, have you considered using olive oil poured over fresh herbs & minced garlic in an ice cube tray in the freezer? Consider them flavor bombs to start each meal with all winter long. This allows for the herbs to preserve their green, fresh flavor and increases storage time immensely.

Herb Infused Olive Oil

Recipe by Cherith Mitchell
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking timeminutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup minced assorted herbs such as parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary

  • 3-5 minced garlic cloves

  • 1 crushed cayenne pepper or 1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

  • Mince your herbs and garlic cloves.
  • Combine olive oil with all ingredients and muddle well to extract flavor.
  • Store in fridge overnight or for several days to infuse flavor. Use within a month. For longer storage options, see notes.
  • Alternatively, add a few TBSP of softened butter and use as spread for cheese pizza and garlic knots.

Notes

  • If you have botulism concerns, you might choose to omit the garlic entirely. Acidifying the fresh herbs and garlic in citric acid prior to storing in olive oil might be a good option for you. Alternatively, simply use the oil within 2 weeks while storing in fridge.