Read this first: the safety part
Homemade herb and garlic oils are a known botulism risk. The CDC lists chopped garlic in oil among the sources of botulism, and its advice is simple: refrigerate homemade oils made with garlic or herbs and throw them away after 4 days.
Warming the oil for a few minutes doesn't change that rule, and neither does using dried herbs. So we treat this as a fresh gift: a small batch, the fridge, and a use-by date on the tag.
- Dried aromatics only. No fresh garlic, fresh herbs or fresh chiles in the bottle.
- Strain them out before bottling.
- Refrigerate and use within 4 days. Write it on the tag.
- Want a gift that keeps? Give the kit: plain olive oil in the bottle plus a little jar of the dried blend to stir into a dish of oil at the table.
How to wrap it
Cream ceramic bottle, a linen cocktail napkin wrapped around the neck and tied with kitchen twine, a sprig of dried rosemary tucked into the knot on the outside, and a plain tag: "Rosemary chili oil. Keep refrigerated. Use by (date)." It looks like a shop gift, and the tag does the safety talk for you.
For the kit, fill the bottle with plain extra-virgin olive oil and tie on a small jar of the crushed dried blend with its own tag: "Stir 1/2 teaspoon into a dish of oil, add flaky salt, dip bread."
The recipe
Rosemary Chili Olive Oil
A small batch of rosemary chili oil made with dried aromatics, strained and kept in the fridge. Use it within 4 days, or give the kit version.
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
You'll need
- Small marble mortar and pestle
- Small saucepan
- Fine-mesh strainer and a coffee filter
- Small funnel
- 20-ounce ceramic oil bottle, washed and completely dry
Method
Wash the bottle and pourer the day before and let them dry completely.
Lightly crush the rosemary, pepper flakes, peppercorns and fennel in the mortar, just enough to crack them and release the smell. A 4-inch mortar takes this amount in one go.
Warm the oil and the crushed aromatics in a small saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, until tiny bubbles form around the herbs. Don't let it smoke or sizzle.
Take it off the heat and let it steep for 30 minutes, until cool.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter, then funnel into the bottle. Cap it, tag it with a use-by date 4 days out and refrigerate.
Notes
Storage. Keep it in the fridge and use it within 4 days (CDC guidance for homemade oils made with garlic or herbs). Olive oil turns cloudy and thick when cold; 20 minutes on the counter brings it back.
Why only 1 cup? It has to be used within 4 days, so a small batch is the right size. The 20-ounce bottle holds up to 2 1/2 cups, plenty for the kit version.
The kit version (keeps longer). Fill the bottle with plain extra-virgin olive oil. Crush a double batch of the dried blend in the mortar and pack it in a small airtight jar with a tag: "Stir 1/2 teaspoon into a dish of oil, add flaky salt, dip bread." Unopened store-bought olive oil keeps to its best-by date in a cool, dark cupboard.
Never add fresh garlic, fresh herbs or fresh chiles to oil you keep at room temperature, and don't top up the bottle with more aromatics later.
Hand-wash the bottle and let it air-dry completely before refilling.
What we used
- 01
Cream ceramic olive oil bottle, 20 oz
Opaque glazed ceramic keeps light off the oil, and the drip-free steel spout keeps the counter clean. Holds up to 2 1/2 cups.
Shop on Amazon - 02
White marble mortar and pestle, 4 inch
A small 4-inch bowl with an unpolished inside that grips: right for cracking a tablespoon or two of dried herbs and spices.
Shop on Amazon - 03
White linen cocktail napkins, set of 12
Wrap one around the bottle neck and tie it with twine: instant gift wrap.
Shop on Amazon
Questions people ask
Can I leave a rosemary sprig in the bottle? It looks so pretty.
Only if the oil lives in the fridge and is used within 4 days, the same rule as the rest of the batch. For a gift, tuck the sprig into the twine on the outside instead.
Can I use fresh garlic?
Only in oil you'll use right away or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Never store garlic in oil at room temperature.
How long does the kit last?
Sealed olive oil keeps until its best-by date in a cool, dark cupboard. The dried blend keeps its flavor for several months in an airtight jar.
Food-safety guidance from the CDC (Botulism Prevention). The Muse Shelf is not affiliated with vancasso or Fox Run.
