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–+ servings
fresh basil infused olive oil in small jar
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4.34 from 3 votes

đź“‹RECIPE: Fresh Basil Oil

Basil oil is extra virgin olive oil that packs a punch of fresh flavors. This vibrant green basil infused oil adds a hint of fresh basil taste without over powering. Drizzle it on toast, salad, soups, fish, meat, vegetables, eggs, grilled bread,..on everything!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: dip, Dips
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 1920kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Pick fresh basil. I choose sweet Italian basil. Rinse to remove any dirt.
  • Bring a pot of water to boil.
  • Add clean basil leaves to the pot of boiling water.
  • Blanch for 20 seconds.
    Note: if blanched for longer basil will loose it’s vibrant green color and turn dark.
  • Immediately drain it from boiling water and shock it in ice water bath to stop cooking process.
  • Let it sit in water bath for a minute or two.
  • Drain it from ice water bath.
  • Place it on kitchen towel to remove some of the excess liquid.
    Note: do NOT press basil leaves on kitchen towel to dry. It will loose some of it’s flavors. Let is simply sit on kitchen towel for couple of minutes.
  • Into a blender add blanched basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, pinch of kosher salt.
  • Blend until it turns into smooth puree.
  • That’s it. Basil oil is ready. You can use it as it is in the rustic form to be drizzled salads, eggs and soups.
  • Or pass the oil through a strainer lined with muslin cloth.
  • Do not push the pulp, let it naturally drain infused oil from the basil.
  • Once all oil is extract through muslin cloth, you’ll get clean basil oil.
  • Drizzle on salads, grilled bread, vegetables, soups, eggs, just about everything.
  • Transfer to clean, dry, sterilized air tight container and store in fridge for up to 2 days.
    Throw away the oil if you haven’t used it in 2 days to avoid a fatal form of food poisoning called botulism!

Video

Notes

  1. If you don’t use basil infused oil immediately, store in clean, dry, sterilized air tight container and store in fridge for up to 2 days.
  2. Never store herb infused oil at room temperature.
  3. If you store herb oil for longer, harmful bacteria will begin to grow inside it. Throw away the oil if you haven’t used it in 2 days to avoid a fatal form of food poisoning called botulism!
  4. Cooking time mentioned includes time to get a pot of water to boil and blanch the leaves.
Nutrition values mentioned are for 1 cup.
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 1920kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 216g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 23g | Monounsaturated Fat: 158g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2532IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 3mg