Why not give a homemade gift this year? It doesn’t get much easier than these delicious flavored oils, the perfect thoughtful gift for any cook or foodie. These Homemade Infused Olive Oil Gifts (+ Free Printable Gift Tag) are so easy to make and will wow your family and friends.
These three infused olive oil ideas are packed full of flavor, cost a fraction of the store bought ones, and couldn’t be easier to make! (Even for the non-cooks). They’re also a great gift idea for your children to make, as they involve no cooking. Expect some mess though, as they pour the oil into bottles!
These oils are delicious in salad dressings or drizzled over pasta. Try to make them a few weeks before Christmas to give the flavors time to really develop. They should last unopened in a cool dark place for up to a year – never store oil in bright sunlight as it may go rancid.
If you want to use dried herbs, check out my How to Dry Herbs from the Garden, post!
I have made these in the past with dried peppers from our garden, too. They are great to cook with since they add a lot of flavors to your meal! SO- anytime you are looking for a crafty homemade gift idea, try some of these infused oils!
Equipment needed for these Homemade Infused Olive Oil Gifts:
Some oil bottles or other decorative bottles
Corks (if sealing)
Decorative labels or Tags (see below for FREE TAGS)
How to make Infused Olive Oil Bottles
For the bottles:
If using recycled bottles:
To sterilize the bottles, wash them in hot soapy water, dry them and place them on a baking tray. Put them in the oven, and set it to a medium high setting. When the oven comes up to temperature, take the bottles out and allow to cool.
If buying new bottles:
I have found Oil bottles at the Dollar Store before that already have a cork in it, I have also seen cheap bottles with a spout and stopper at stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. You could always use mason jars, too. Or Amazon of course has lots of options.
Infused Olive Oil Ideas:
#1- Chili Infused Oil
What you need:
- Several dried chilis
- Good quality olive oil, or a 50:50 mix of olive and sunflower oil if you want to reduce the cost a little
How to make Infused Olive Oil
Prick the chilis with a needle, and drop them into the sterilized bottle. Pour the oil over, until it reaches about half way up the bottle neck. Add the cork, pushing it down firmly.
#2- Garlic Infused Oil
Follow the method above, but instead of chillis use several garlic cloves. Peel them, but leave them whole. Place in the bottle, and top up with oil as above.
#3- Rosemary Infused Oil
This is a particularly pretty oil, and over time it will develop a very delicate green colour. Follow the method above, but instead of chillis use a teaspoonful of dried rosemary in the bottom of the bottle, then a sprig of fresh rosemary. When you add the oil, make sure that the rosemary is completely covered.
This method of creating flavored oils works well with other robust herbs such as thyme. It doesn’t work as well with more delicate herbs like basil, which tend to fade and lose their structure, making the oil look unappetizing.
Turning the Infused Olive Oils into Homemade Gifts
Once bottled, the bottle can be decorated with a label and ribbons, or why not make a mini gift set of several flavors and put them in a box?
Infused Oil Printable Tags
Click the photo below to print a FREE tag for your bottles!
I hope you enjoy these homemade infused olive oil gifts (+ free printable gift tag)! Please stop on back to let me know if you try them out!
FOLLOW ALONG!
Questions:
Can I combine the flavors?
YES! Get creative! Rosemary and garlic? Check.
How long will these infused oils store for?
If they are corked, they can last up to a year. If they aren’t sealed to be on the safe side- I would say use within a few days.
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