You certainly know that rosemary oil is a popular infusion oil that is commonly used as a spice in cooking or as a raw material for various beauty products. If you don't want to buy rosemary oil because you doubt its quality, why not try making your own at home? In fact, you only need to heat a few sprigs of fresh rosemary in the oil of your choice! However, always remember that fresh rosemary oil should be used within a week to keep it at its best. If you want to increase the shelf life of rosemary oil, try using dried rosemary instead of fresh, mixing it with the oil of your choice and pouring it into a special container, then storing it in a place exposed to sunlight so the aroma and flavor can slowly infuse into the oil.. Dried rosemary can be purchased at the store or made at home!
Ingredients
Fresh Rosemary Oil
- Three to four sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 475 ml olive oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil
Dried Rosemary Oil
- Three to four sprigs of dried rosemary OR
- One tbsp. big dried rosemary
- About 475 ml of olive oil
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Fresh Rosemary
Step 1. Wash and measure the rosemary
Wash a few sprigs of rosemary under cold running water to remove any dirt and grime. After that, separate the leaves from the stems and collect about 28 grams of fresh rosemary leaves.
The rest of the rosemary leaves can be removed or set aside for reprocessing
Step 2. Fill a small saucepan with oil
Measure out 475 ml of oil and pour it into a saucepan. Most people prefer to use olive oil if later rosemary oil will be used as a cooking spice and cosmetic ingredient. However, if the oil will only be used as a raw material for making cosmetics, you can also use jojoba or sweet almond oil.
Remember, jojoba or sweet almond oil should not be eaten or used as a condiment
Step 3. Heat rosemary in oil
Place the fresh rosemary sprigs in a saucepan of oil, and heat for five to ten minutes, stirring constantly over low heat. As the oil heats up, it should start to smell a pretty strong rosemary scent.
If bubbles appear around the rosemary, it means the oil is too hot. Reduce the heat and stir again the oil until the temperature decreases
Step 4. Strain and cool the oil
Place a colander or other metal filter over a metal bowl. After that, pour the oil into the bowl until all the oil is separated from the pulp. Discard the rosemary pulp and let the oil cool down.
In addition to a metal colander or strainer, you can also use a tofu or cheese strainer. However, make sure the oil is completely cool before straining it using a tofu or cheese cloth
Step 5. Pour the oil into the bottle
Once the oil is at room temperature, immediately pour it into a clean bottle. After that, stick a label that says the date of packaging and the raw materials used to make the oil. However, resist the urge to decorate the bottle with rosemary sprigs intact. Although it looks beautiful, in fact this action can grow bad bacteria that can damage the quality of the oil.
Step 6. Store the oil in the refrigerator
Remember, oils infused with fresh herbs should always be refrigerated and consumed within one week to prevent the growth of bacteria that can damage the quality of the oil.
If the oil is going to be given to someone else as a gift, make sure you put a label that says “good to use before (date)” on the surface of the container
Method 2 of 3: Making Infused Oil with Dried Rosemary
Step 1. Sterilize the container that will be used to store the oil
First, fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the water boils, submerge the container in the water using metal tongs, and let it sit for ten minutes to kill any bacteria that could damage the quality of your homemade rosemary oil.
- If you wish, you can also wash the container thoroughly with soap and water and then dry it well instead of simmering it.
- In addition, you can also use a boiling water canner (a very large pot to sterilize several cannings or mason jars at the same time). If you are interested in using it, make sure you follow the instructions on the product packaging, OK!
Step 2. Put the dried rosemary in a container
If you are drying rosemary yourself, place three to four sprigs in a container. Meanwhile, if you bought dried rosemary at the supermarket, add 1 tbsp. full of rosemary into the container.
Do not use fresh, undried rosemary. If you do so, the oil may smell rancid and grow Botulism bacteria that are harmful to your health
Step 3. Pour the oil over the rosemary surface
Fill the container with olive oil, leaving a distance of about 1.2 cm from the surface of the container. Make sure the rosemary is completely submerged in the oil! If necessary, use a clean spoon to push the rosemary into the bottom of the bowl.
Step 4. Place the container in a place exposed to direct sunlight
Close the container tightly and place it in the sun for two weeks. Do not open the container during this stage! During this time, the oil will slowly heat up and be infused with the aroma and taste of rosemary. After two weeks, you can start using rosemary oil.
Step 5. Strain the oil
Place a cheese or tofu strainer over a metal bowl, making sure the cloth is longer than the diameter of the bowl. After that, pour the rosemary oil into the bowl until all the oil is separated from the pulp. Then, fold the sides of the cloth into a bag, and squeeze out the remaining oil into the same bowl.
- Use clean hands to squeeze the cheese or tofu strainer.
- Discard any remaining rosemary pulp.
Step 6. Store rosemary oil in the kitchen
Pour the filtered oil back into the container and replace the lid. If desired, add a sprig of dried rosemary to the bowl as a garnish. Infusion oils made from dried rosemary can last up to a year.
If the oil will be transferred to a new container, first sterilize the container that will be used
Method 3 of 3: Drying Fresh Rosemary
Step 1. Wash fresh rosemary thoroughly
Fresh rosemary can be purchased at the supermarket or grown at home. The first step you need to do is to wash fresh rosemary under running water to remove dust and dirt. After that, lightly pat the rosemary with a paper towel or dry the rosemary with a salad spinner to remove any excess water.
- To produce rosemary oil in a full mason jar, it will likely take three to four sprigs of rosemary.
- Dried rosemary has a very long shelf life. Therefore, dry as much of the rosemary as possible, even if you are not going to turn all of it into oil.
Step 2. Arrange the rosemary on the baking sheet
First, line a baking sheet with large parchment paper. After that, arrange the rosemary on the baking sheet in a non-overlapping position. If the pan is too full, the rosemary will not dry evenly.
Step 3. Dry the rosemary in the oven
Preheat the oven on the lowest setting for ten minutes. After that, put the baking sheet filled with rosemary in the oven; Bake for two to four hours.
- Rosemary that is completely dry can be easily crushed with your fingers.
- Wait until the stem temperature is completely dry before processing it into oil.
