How to Make Herbal Vinegars and Oils
It’s easy to make delicious herbal oils and vinegars from the herbs in your garden. Use these flavored oils and vinegars to add a different taste and zest to marinades and salad dressings. You can use the herbs either fresh or dried in making them.
The supplies you’ll need for making herb vinegar are as follows:
Sterilized glass jar, with lid, your home-grown, organic herbs, and the vinegar of your choice. Most vinegars can be used, but try to match the vinegar to the herb. More delicately flavored herbs go well with white or champagne wine vinegars, while a stronger-flavored herb like tarragon or rosemary would work well with a zesty red vinegar. Cider vinegar has a strong “bitey” flavor already, so you’ll have to compensate for that flavor when trying different flavor combinations of the herbs you want to use.
Prepare your herbs by harvesting them in early morning, and washing them gently and drying them thoroughly. Place them inside the jar and pour in your choice of vinegar. Fasten the lid tightly, and let your herb vinegar stand for about six weeks. Strain out the herbs and return the clear flavored vinegar to a clean and sterilized container. It’s now ready to use for cooking or salad dressing.
You can also use your organically grown herbs to make organic herb oil. Herb oil is excellent to use on salads and to add extra flavor for cooking. Organic herb oil also makes a fantastic dip for bread. Some herb oils can also make wonderfully fragrant bath oils, or depending on the oil you use, can also be used to moisturize your skin.
A word of caution, when it comes to herb oil – it must be kept refrigerated. Herb oil is an ideal medium for bacteria to grow in, including certain fatal bacteria. It is imperative you refrigerate your herb oil. Keep the unused herb oil from fresh herbs for no more than two weeks; after that, discard it. Mark a date on the jar so you know how long you have had the oil, and if it is left out of the refrigerator, throw it away!
With dried herbs, your herbal oil is much less likely to be contaminated with bacteria. If you prepare your herb oil with fully dried herbs; you can store the unused herb oil in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. Again, when the four weeks are up, throw it away!
To make herb oil you will need a sterilized jar or bottle with a lid, oil, and your home-grown, organic herbs (either fresh, frozen, or dried). Remember, if you use dried herbs, you’ll be able to store the unused portion in the refrigerator longer, and there is little chance of introducing bacteria or fungus, as there is with fresh herbs. If you’re going to use the herb oil primarily for cooking or salads, it’s recommended you use extra virgin olive oil. It is possible to use other oils such as almond, grape seed, sunflower and sesame oils. Never use mineral oil. Jojoba oil is a good choice if you plan to make a bath or cosmetic oil.
One method is to heat the oil gently in a double boiler, and add your prepared herbs. Do not allow the oil to get too hot, as it will change the flavor and quality of the oil. Let the oil and herb mixture cool, and leave it for about a week in the refrigerator for the flavor to disperse throughout the oil. Remove the herbs by straining the oil. Add a few drops of Vitamin E oil, and pour the flavored oil into the sterilized jar or bottle and screw the lid on tightly. Label the date and refrigerate. Whenever you use the herbal oil, make sure you return it to the refrigerator promptly.
As you can see, there are many uses for organically grown herbs. You will save money by not having to buy your favorite herbal vinegars at the store anymore. You can just make them yourself, as well a delicious herbal oils. You’ll also notice a huge taste difference by using your organically grown herbs in these two preparations, compared to store bought ones.
