How to Make Herb Vinegars and Oils

Making herbal oils and vinegars is one of the easiest ways to enjoy the fruits of your labor in the herb garden. The final product, given in a decorative bottle, is a lovely gift for a special friend or family member.

You can use any type of vinegar you prefer – white, white or red wine, apple cider, or rice. It depends primarily on the herbs you plan to add. Heat the vinegar almost to boiling, just don't let it boil. Pour the warm vinegar into a sterilized glass jar or bottle to which you have added fresh herb leaves or sprigs. For each cup of vinegar, use about 3 sprigs of your favorite herbs. Add one clove of garlic, a small shallot, or a small chile pepper for each cup of vinegar, if you want even more flavor. Make sure the herbs you use are bruised (gently crimped or rubbed) to help release their flavors and volatile oils. Shake the bottle several times during the next one to two weeks. When the vinegar is strong enough, you can remove the herbs by straining them through a sieve or cheesecloth. You can even leave the larger sprigs of herbs in the bottle as a decoration, if you prefer. Place the strained vinegar in a pretty sterilized bottle, tie a bright ribbon around the neck, and you have a very special homemade gift. I like to use old wine bottles that I've soaked to remove the labels, then sterilized (see below). You can stop them with new corks purchased at just about any hobby store or supermarket.

You can also combine several of your favorite herbs in one vinegar. Do you often use basil and thyme together when you cook? Then you'll probably want to blend them in your vinegar, too. Other tasty combinations include: coriander, garlic, and rice vinegar; chilies, garlic, oregano, and cider vinegar; fennel, garlic, parsley, and white wine vinegar; rosemary, garlic, and red wine vinegar; honey, cinnamon sticks, and cider vinegar; tarragon, shallot, and cider vinegar; parsley, red pepper, and white vinegar. There are literally thousands of different blends, half the fun is experimenting with your favorite flavors.

Heat olive, peanut, canola, or vegetable oil gently over low heat until you can smell the scent of the oil, not too hot! It will take only a few minutes, about 3 to 5, depending on how much oil you use. Pour the warm oil into a sterilized glass jar, to which you've added fresh herb leaves or sprigs. The measurements to use are the same as for herb vinegars, 1 cup of oil to about 3 sprigs of your favorite herb. When the oil cools, cover the container and store in your refrigerator. Don't use the oil for at least 2 weeks, but you can keep it up to 6 months safely in your refrigerator. You don't need to strain the oil. For gift giving, pour the oil into a pretty sterilized bottle, and decorate it for a quick, thoughtful gift. You can use the oil to saute with, in marinades, salad dressings, and in just about any recipe calling for plain oil.

Although it might seem strange to store the oil in the refrigerator, please make sure you do it! There have been cases of botulism food poisoning from unrefrigerated oils. Introducing herbs into the oil, an oxygen free environment, can cause botulism spores to grow. So, ALWAYS refrigerate your oil as soon as you prepare it, and keep it there when you're not using it. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, TOO! Sterilizing your bottles carefully will also help. (See below for how to easily sterilize your glasses and bottles.)

Nice combinations for your oils include: oregano, thyme, garlic, and olive oil; dill, garlic, and sunflower or canola oil; lemon verbena, lemon thyme, and walnut oil; lovage, garlic, celery leaf, and olive oil; chervil, tarragon, shallots, and peanut oil. As with herb vinegars, there are thousands of combinations you can make.

Sterilizing bottles and jars doesn't have to be a time consuming chore any more. If you have a dishwasher, you can sterilize all your glassware by doing a load of dishes! If you're doing wine bottles, you may want to remove your top rack, in order to fit in more bottles on the bottom rack. If you have a newer dishwasher that has a "heat" setting, set your dishwasher to wait until the water is thoroughly heated, before you begin the cycle. Many newer dishwashers will automatically hold the water until it's heated to over 120 to 140 degrees, so your dishes will be sterilized. However, even if you don't have the "heat" or "hold" feature, it's not a problem. Set your dishwasher to dry the dishes. The heat from the dry cycle with also sterilize the bottles, making them safe to use for canning, and making your oils and vinegars. So, set your dishwasher to hold or heat the water, if it has this feature, and then set it to automatic dry. Take the bottles out when they are still hot from the dry cycle, and begin your canning, or pour in your vinegars or oils. There you have it, easy and painless sterilizing!

Now, your herb vinegars are all bottled in lovely and safe bottles. They line your pantry and refrigerator shelves, looking lovely and decorative. Now you're ready to give them to your friends and family. I like to tie a brightly colored ribbon around the neck, and include a gift tag, telling the flavor of the oil or vinegar, and some suggestions on how to use it. These gifts are always well-received at any time of the year! The vinegar bottles look very pretty on a kitchen counter, as a decorative and handy cooking tool. Enjoy cooking with your new vinegars and oils!