How to make Infused Oil

Making infused oils is a process of transferring flavour and scent into a carrier oil.  It can be used to add flavour to cooking oils. As well as making scent oils for use in aromatherapy, massage oils and making beauty products like soaps and lotions. 

It is a simple process of infusing flowers, herbs or spices into an oil by heating or letting it sit in a sunny spot so that  the volatile oils can transfer into the carrier oil. I will show you how I make them in this instructable.

Step 1: Materials:

• Oil (I will discuss the different types to use in Steps 2 and 5)
• Herbs, spices, flowers
• Clean, dry glass jars
• Clean decorative glass containers
• Coffee filters, cheesecloth, sieve
• Funnel
• Spoon
• Hot plate/double boiler or pan/skillet
• Mortar and pestle
• Sunny windowsill

Sterilize the glass jars and bottles that you will be using by running them through the dishwasher.  It is important that they are completely dry.

As you will see in the following steps a wide assortment of flowers, herbs and spices can be used in making infused oils.  Since you will ingesting or putting these oils on your body I would recommend using organic material if you can.  Better still if you can grow them in your garden, you can control what goes on the plants as well as save yourself a lot of money too.  Even a little potted herb plant on your windowsill will do.

Step 2: Culinary oil: preparing herbs

Culinary infused oils are a great way to add flavour to your cooking. An assortment of herbs and spices can be used depending on your tastes and cooking style. You can use either fresh or dried herbs.  Fresh herbs will give a stronger flavour but the oil won't keep as long and needs to be stored in the refrigerator (see note below**).  I tend to make small quantities of infused oil at at time so that it will be used up quickly.

Here a few suggestions, don't be afraid to mix and match:

Basil	Clove	Oregano	Peppercorns
Garlic	Rosemary	Tarragon	Sage
Chilies	Coriander	Thyme	Cumin

The best type of oil to use is extra virgin olive oil, you can also use grape seed , peanut or sunflower oil.  Walnut oil is also good if it will be used cold such as for salad dressings since it is not good for heating.

How to make:

• Wash your herbs and dry completely**
• Bruise or rub herbs, for spices toast them to bring out the flavour
• Place in a clean dry glass jar.
• Add oil until it completely covers the herbs/spices.
• Place a lid on  the jar and close
• Place the jar on a sunny windowsill or other sunny spot.  Swirl or shake the jar every day or so.

**It is important that no moisture is introduced into the oil as it can become rancid or prone to mold or bacteria growth. (Garlic is particularly prone to this so it should be stored in the fridge or made with the heating method in a skillet described in step 4.)

Step 3: Culinary Oil:draining and storing

• After a week drain off the oil into a clean dry jar using a sieve (for larger herbs) or cheesecloth or coffee filters.
• Taste the oil to see if the flavour is strong enough
• If you want it stronger add more herbs/spices to the oil, close the lid and place back in the sunny spot for another week.
• Repeat as needed.
• If you are happy with the flavour, pour the oil into a nice glass bottle, you can also add a fresh sprig of herb to make if look fancy.
• Store in a cool dry place or better still, in the refrigerator.

Step 4: Culinary Oil: Heating method

Heating the herbs/spices in oil is a quicker way of making infused oil and is great for dried herbs and spices since the heat helps brings out the flavour.

• Grind dried herbs/spices with mortar and pestle
• Place into a clean glass jar
• Cover in oil
• Place a lid on top of the jar (don't tighten)
• Place the jar on hot plate and simmer for several hours (about 3hrs - warning: your kitchen will smell wonderful!)
• Taste to see if the flavour is strong enough
• Drain with a sieve or cheesecloth/coffee filters
• Pour into a clean glass bottle, label and store.

For spices you can do this in a skillet or pan instead. Heat the oil and spices until the oil bubbles and spices sizzle, it needs constant stirring but should only take about 5 minutes, don't overcook.  When ready, strain and pour into a clean glass jar and let cool. When it has cooled taste to see if it is to your liking. Store.

Step 5: Massage, bath and scent oils

You can also capture the scent of flowers and herbs in infused oils.  These infused oils can be used as massage oils, bath oils or can be used in making lotions, soaps or perfumes. There are several plant based oils that you can use in making infused scent oils (these are referred to as carrier oils):

Sweet almond oil	Evening primrose oil
Jojoba oil	Avocado oil
Apricot kernel oil	Borage Seed Oil
Olive oil	Various nut oils (eg walnut,pecan, hazelnut)
Grape seed oil	Various seed oils (eg hemp,sesame, sunflower)

These oils are easily absorbed into the skin (making them great moisturizers) and do not have a strong odor.  They can be bought at health/natural food stores or specialty aromatherapy stores. Some can be found at grocery stores, but try to get cold pressed oils.

The type of flowers or herbs that you can use is really up to your imagination or what you happen to have growing in your garden, here are some suggestions:

Lavender	Rose, carnation, chamomile, jasmine, violets
Comfrey	Geranium, violets, lily, sweet pea, hyacinths etc
Clove	Vanilla bean
Citrus peel	Cinnamon bark
Calendula	Lemongrass
Pine	Mint

Using fresh over dried is usually better, also if you are getting them from your garden, cut the flowers/herbs in the morning and start making the infused oil right away if you can. You can mix different flowers and herbs together creating a variety of different scent combinations. The instructions for making scent infused oils are basically the same as culinary oils, though I wouldn't recommend using the heating method since flowers are more delicate than culinary herbs.

How to make:

• Gently bruise, crush, or chop the flower petals, herbs, spices or peels
• Place them into clean dry glass jar
• Cover them in a carrier oil
• Place a lid on the jar and close
• Place jar in a sunny spot. Swirl or shake the jar every day or so.

Step 6: Drain and store

• After a week drain off the oil into a clean jar using a sieve or cheesecloth/coffee filters.
• Smell the oil to see if the scent is strong enough
• If you want it stronger add more flowers(or herbs etc) to the oil, close lid and place back in the sunny spot for another week.
• Repeat as needed.
• If you are happy with the scent pour the oil in to a nice glass bottle and label.  You can add a pretty ribbon and give it as a gift.

Comments

[RuudvandeLooij]

Love the idea of making your own infused oil. I made 5 small jars for my mother in law for her birthday. I guess she will enjoy them, if not for the taste, then she must like the look of it.

From left to right: Green Peppercorns, Chilipepper, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Garlic.

[ChrysN]

Wow, those look gorgeous!

[emmaazing]

This is great! im going to use cinnamon infused almond oil to add to my lip balm so it promotes circulation and soft pouty lips! so excited!

[ChrysN]

Sounds awesome!

[humblebug]

hi ChrysN, i'm so glad to have your instructable on infused oil..i made one, a mix of fresh oregano and basil leaves... its been 5days now..i want this as massage oil and ive been thinking if its ok to put a little of fragrance oil, what fragrance would you recommend...(i bought diff. fragrance oils but read a warning it should not be used for the skin...) what should i mix to have a better smell..

pls help.,....thanks!

[ChrysN]

You should be able to use an essential oil on your skin rather than a fragrance oil. You can try sage or bay oil, those would probably go nicely with the oregano and basil. If you want your infused oil to have a stronger scent you can drain off the leaves and re infuse with more herbs.

[humblebug]

thanks for the response chrys...please take some more time to answer some more of my questions ;)

is it possible to mix dry herbs since i originally processed fresh herbs (i saw dried sage and bay leaves in the supermarket) ?

or should i drain the leaves (oregano and basil) before mixing the dried ones?

i also found methyl salicylate in a drugstore (with labels like: 65ml methyl salicilate, 35ml mineral oil) and it smells good (minty smell), is it safe to add this? ( its even indicated in the bottle that its oil of wintergreen -antirheumatic)

i am also bothered whats the best thing to do, if to store it in a dry cool dark place or to place it where it can really be spotted by the sun...what i do is put it in direct sunlight for 20-30 minutes in the morning, is this ok? by the way, my bottle is clear so i wrapped it with a dark colored plastic bag.

i tried putting the oregano-basil infused oil in my skin and it feels really good, but im just bothered with the smell... i hope you could help me with this questions before i share it with mom and dad ;)

Thank you in advance....

[ChrysN]

1) You should drain the old leaves before adding the dried ones.

2) methyl salicylate smells nice and is used in sore muscle creams but it is also toxic so only use small amounts (see the wiki article).

3)Only leave in a sunny spot while the herbs are steeping, once you drain off the herbs you should store in a dry cool place.

3)If you don't like the smell try adding something with a smell that you like.

[humblebug]

is there a duration when leaving it under sunlight? i have read one of the comments that direct sunlight for long hours might have an effect on strength of the aroma...
ok then, il try to put some drops of methyl on it. :)
and try to look for fragrance oils that's good for the skin... :)

one last (i hope so) is it also save to mix ethyl alcohol? just wonderin ;)

[ChrysN]

I think it is the warmth of the sun rather than the light which helps absorb the herbs in to the oil, so if you don't have a spot that doesn't get long hours of sunlight but is warm, it is okay. Ethyl alcohol is okay to use on skin, it is used in hand sanitizers as well as perfumes.

[humblebug]

thanks again...i might try putting ethyl alcohol..i hope it wouldnt affect on the effectiveness and strength of the massage oil... i wiki the methyl salicylate and now having doubts of mixing it :)
ill take your advise on putting dried bay and sage, il let you know how the smell would turn out in a couple of days ;)

thanks again ;)

[Batness]

GREAT JOB! Especially mentioning the whole "DRY the herbs/etc" part. There have been a few 'Ibles without that mention, and it bugs me. THANK YOU!

I also love that you've included the massage oil/botanical oils. Now I can smell good and cook with delicious oils! Have you tried lavender? I have not but am curious to see what it smells like in an oil base...

[ChrysN]

Thanks for your comment. I have tried lavender, it is really nice definitely one of my favorites.

[chillen1]

How would you use these oils? Heating them up, with reed infusors or just laying them out in a bowl or open bottle?

[ChrysN]

You could use them as massage oils or in homemade lotions, soaps personal care products or in the bath.

[Dea della Luna]

Awesome! Thank you very much (=

[lydwatters]

Is there a way to speed the process up?

[ChrysN]

You can try heating it like in step 4, though I've never tried it myself with flowers.

[cdawisconsin]

This is on my 2011 to do list. BTW, your photography is amazing.

[ChrysN]

Cool, thanks!

[robbied]

If you boil the garlic in the oil for around 10 minutes, it will kill the bacteria. This also helps infuse the oil with the garlic flavours.
Other sites I have seen also say to store it cold. So if you boil it first, let it cool then into the fridge, you should be safe

[cjccjc]

Very nice. I was wondering if these could be used in a reed diffuser?

[ChrysN]

The scent in infused oils are generally not as concentrated as in essential oils or fragrance oils.

[dustinbikes]

You definitely want to keep these out of the sun, the uv light causes cooking oils to go rancid faster, also another thing i would like to add is, do not try to do this with garlic and oil. Putting garlic into the oil creates an anaerobic environment and there is a likelihood that botulism will grow. The garlic infused oils that are available from the grocery store are acidulated to a very specific ph balance that inhibits the growth of the botulism.

[ilieva]

Place the oil at the sunny window for 15-30 min. just before using the oil. It will get the benefits of the sun energy but will not have time to destroy the aromatic molecules of the infusion.

[GreenD]

Placing in a sunny spot may be bad - this can cause degredation of the aromatic molecules, or even of the oil's aroma itself. If you have a UV filter or UV blocking windows than this will be ok, but sunlight is very powerful!

[morthole]

I thought the same, maybe dark bottles is a better option?
This way you can take advantage of the heat of the sun but not the light.

Very nice instructable.

[mikeasaurus]

looks great, infused oils are tasty to cook with/enjoy!
I'm sure it depends on what they are infused with, but how long will these keep for?

[ChrysN]

They should keep for a few months provided that the jars/ bottles are sterile and you avoid getting moisture into the oil, and close the lid tightly and stored properly. The dried herbs/spices should last longer.

[ArisenProdigy]

Great instructable! When making massage/bath oils, is it absolutely necessary to leave in the sunlight? I ask because it's snowy child here and I doubt much would get absorbed in the cold.

[ChrysN]

I live in Canada and certain times of year I don't get much light coming into my place, I haven't actually compared infused oils that I've made in the summer vs those I've made in the winter. In discussions I've read about making infused oils some people suggest putting it in a cool dark place to absorb the herbs -this I haven't tried. You could try leaving it another week.

[mistressdominastar]

What do you use as a preservative. I know some oils go rancid after a certain time.

[ChrysN]

Yes, that is a concern with making your own infused oils. I don't use any preservatives. So it is important that you sterilize your glassware (run it through the dishwasher -or as you would for canning) also not to let any moisture get into you oil. Also to store in small bottles in a cool dark place or the fridge, or to make small quantities. This way you'll probably use it up before it goes rancid. Just smell it before you use it.