Infused Olive Oils for #FoodGifts

Infused Olive Oils make beautiful gifts! Use dried herbs to make simple presents for friends and family this holiday season! #FoodGifts

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The holiday season is officially upon us! I saw my first Christmas commercial ON Halloween. The day after was clearly fair game. I have to say that I don’t really mind, this year. Sometimes I get tired of the commercialism, but right now, I’m happy to smile at any snow-themed commercials and look at catalogs of expensive Christmas trees that I’d never dream of buying.

In keeping with The Season, some blog friends and I have put together #FoodGifts! These range from things you can bring to holiday parties, like Chocolate Holiday Stir Sticks, to things that are just fun to give people, like Taco Spice Mix. Scroll down for the full list! My contribution are the beautiful, impressive, 3-step Infused Olive Oils.

You can use pretty much any containers, olive oil, and herbs for this. I purchased a set of small sealable containers, the olive oil I had lying around, and herbs that I had growing in my garden (supplemented with a “poultry pack” from the store). You can make this more upscale by using nicer olive oil and pretty olive oil dispensers (Amazon has this pretty one with a glass stopper, and these with these clever spouts).

(While this is a super simple process, it’s important to keep in mind that these will expire. If kept improperly, there’s a risk of botulism, which is an ugly sort of food poisoning that nobody needs (see this super helpful article from the University of Maine), so make sure you keep these for no longer than 3 months.)

Infused Olive Oils Notes

I used dried herbs, as the simplest and safest method. You can also dehydrate your own garlic, or you can use lemon peel or red peppers. If you choose to use fresh items, check out this article for ways to make these safely.

Inspiration taken from a number of sources, but especially this one.

Infused Olive Oils for #FoodGifts

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

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• To make one 4 oz. bottle:
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3–4 sprigs of any combination of rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage; or 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

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Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using tongs or a wire frying basket, completely submerge each bottle for 30 seconds. Remove and allow to drain and cool.
2. Place herbs in a single layer between two paper towels and microwave in 30-second intervals until completely dried.
3. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil until it reaches 180 degrees. Remove from heat.
4. Place herbs into cooled bottles. Pour oil over herbs and seal. Keep for up to 3 months.

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