Do you want to give your salad a very special touch? Make the side dish something very special? Then you should add flavor to olive oil. Today I'll show you how you can make lemon oil yourself and what you need to pay attention to!
There are things that you do not have to buy. They are very easy to make yourself. And the result is even better than the purchased version.
A very typical example is lemon flavored olive oil. It costs a lot of money in the store. But lemon oil is so easy to make yourself! And cheap!
To make lemon oil yourself, you need just 5 minutes of time. If you want to buy the oil, it will definitely take longer - right? :)
I want to show you here and now how easy it is to make and how little time it takes.
By the way: If you're a really big fan of homemade spice oils, you should definitely try For chili oil and Herbal oil drop by!
Table of contents
What ingredients do I need to make lemon oil itself?
You also need only two ingredients. If you like, you can celebrate the lemon oil a little more. We have grabbed a sprig of rosemary for this.
And here's a few words about the ingredients for your DIY spice oil.
The right lemons for lemon oil
They give the oil its special flavor. Since the lemons with peel end up in the spice oil, it is important that you pay attention to good quality. Go for organic lemons with untreated peel. Otherwise, you're just putting a lot of unnecessary chemicals into the lemon oil.
There are two ways to make homemade lemon oil. Either you take only lemon peels or you put the lemons as a whole in the olive oil.
If you opt for the whole pieces, your oil will be a little more acidic. This tastes just unbeatable on salads in the summer!
If you take only the peel, you have a DIY lemon olive oil with a slightly lemony flavor.
The homemade lemon oil looks especially pretty if you quarter the lemons or cut them into slices. Both are allowed. Just do it the way you like it :) Here it's more about the visual aspect.
But be careful: If you buy lemons, you should process them quickly. Because especially in summer, lemons mold very quickly. Why this is so, you can read in a separate blog post.
The right oil to make lemon oil yourself
At least as important as the right lemons is a good olive oil. Here you best look very closely. The olive oil should have organic quality. And be cold-pressed - that is, virgin.
I like to buy it at specialty stores because it really makes a huge difference taste-wise.
You can also use other vegetable oils to make your own lemon oil. Olive oil is so well suited because the taste harmonizes with the lemon. If you take another oil, make sure that it is cold-pressed.
Making herbs for lemon oil
If you like, you can celebrate your lemon oil a little more. I have taken a sprig of rosemary for this.
On the one hand, this has a good effect on the taste. On the other hand, however, also on the optics.
You have to admit: The oil looks even better with a small green sprig. But as mentioned, you can also do without herbs.
Instead of rosemary, you can also use oregano or lemon thyme. Both harmonize very well with the lemons.
Orange peel or lime zest are also suitable for giving the oil a special aroma.
Who is now looking for the rosemary in the photo, it is unfortunately not visible because it is hidden on the other side of the bottle. Unfortunately, I noticed this only after the fact. Next time I pay better attention, I promise. :)
What do I need to consider with DIY citrus oil?
Anyone who regularly buys lemons knows the phenomenon: within a very short time the fruits begin to mold. To prevent this from happening and even spoiling your oil, it is enormously important that you use the Wash lemons thoroughly.
Wash them under hot water and pat the peel dry. Take only fruits that have an undamaged skin and that are really fresh.
Tip:
To get less acid in the oil and more citrus flavor, I recommend preserving only half of the lemons with pulp. From the other half you take only the peel, which you remove with a vegetable peeler.
But let's get right to the recipe now.
Recipe to make lemon oil itself
Ingredients
- 3 Organic lemons
- 1 L virgin olive oil
- 1 Branch Rosemary (optional)
Equipment
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 bottle with screw cap
- 1 funnel
Anleitung
- Wash the lemons and rub them dry.3 organic lemons
- TipYou can also use only the peel of the lemon. To do this, peel it with a vegetable peeler or knife and put it in oil. So the oil will not be so acidic.
- Peel half of the lemons. Cut the other half of the lemons into quarters and put them in a bottle with a large opening.
- If you like, you can now add a sprig of rosemary.1 sprig rosemary (optional)
- Fill up with olive oil. Make sure that all ingredients are well covered with oil.1 L virgin olive oil
- Put the lid on and you're done!
After a few hours you will already have the first lemon flavor in the oil. The longer you leave them in, the more intense the flavor will be. Make sure that the fruit pieces are always covered with oil, otherwise they may start to mold.
Now let your oil infuse for at least 3 days. Better are 7 to 14 days. So the lemons can give off the aroma really well.
I take the fruits out of the oil after 7 days at the latest, because otherwise it becomes too intense for me.
After I take out the lemons, I don't throw them away. You can use them for cooking or squeeze them over salad - they are a good substitute for vinegar.
How to properly store the homemade lemon oil?
Ideally, you take a dark bottle for filling. Then, unfortunately, you see nothing of the lemons. I have therefore decided for the photos for a normal glass bottle.
And store them in the dark for this purpose. This is very important so that the lemon oil is durable. Direct sunlight can not tolerate the oil at all.
If you have chosen a light-colored bottle or glass, place it in a cabinet. Or you can wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the bottle, which also shields light.
What can you do with lemon oil?
Lemon oil is said to strengthen the immune system. The essential oils of lemon are said to kill pathogens, viruses and bacteria directly in the body. Olive oil with lemon contains many antioxidants that provide healthy skin and prevent premature aging.
The essential nutrients contained also strengthen hair and prevent brittle nails.
Who is happy about his first DIY lemon olive oil, but does not know what he should actually do with it now, must now pay close attention. Here are a few tips and suggestions for using lemon oil.
The classic applications for the citrus olive oil are
- Salads
- Pasta
- Fish dishes
- Soups
Asian dishes can be made really delicious with lemon oil.
My favorite: spaghetti with shrimp, lemon oil and fresh basil leaves. Basically, you can use it in many recipes. It's best to just experiment a little. I'm sure you'll come up with some more great ideas.
Our conclusion
There really are products that you don't have to and shouldn't buy. As you can see, you can make your own lemon oil - without much effort and witchcraft.
Moreover, the homemade version with fresh herbs and lemons also looks much prettier than lemon oil from the supermarket.
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