Infusing olive oil with lemon?!
I'd like a nice lemon infused olive oil. I don't want to quickly infuse it with heat and use it right away, I want to do it nice and slow and let the flavor seep out of the lemon. And I'm making it as a gift for someone, and I'd like it to look nice, too. As in, not just a bottle of oil, but maybe some lemon zest strips floating around in there.
I'd also like to find a way to do it at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator. If the only way I can do it safely is in the refrigerator, than I will, but I'd prefer room temperature.
Speaking of safety, that's another thing. I don't want botulism (and who does?)! So I REALLY want to do this safely. If the person that I give this to dies, I could never forgive myself.
So, could someone give me a complete walk-through of how to infuse olive oil with lemon safely and in the most flavorful way, and also how to store it? Thank you so much!
Answers:
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I hate to break your heart, but you can NOT leave the lemon zest in there. And you have to use the stove-top method to infuse it. Botulism will grow on that zest if it in't heated and removed. Once the oil has cooled completely and you've strained out all the zest through cheesecloth or a coffee-filter-lined mesh strainer, you can bottle it in a sterilized bottle. my suggestion for making the bottle pretty is this: either use etching cream to "etch" a frosty design onto your bottle (perhaps some lemon slices?) or use glass paint to paint something on the bottle and let it cure (as per paint bottle directions) before pouring your oil in the bottle. I have stored infused olive oil at room temp, but it most be stored away from sunlight (preferrably in a cool, dry, dark place- like the back of a pantry). the infused oil is only good for 3-4 weeks, though. you can also infuse oil with garlic slies, then use the crispy (lightly golden) garlic slices in salads, pasta, baked potatoes... just about anything!
Here is a link about infusing Olive Oil in which the author does use lemon zest. You can skip the other ingredients:
http://www.diynetwork.com/decorating/inf…
My suggestion to avoid contaminating it would be to wash the lemons thoroughly with a mild soap before zesting to make sure they are clean.
Lemon Olive oil sounds delicious. I just may try this myself! Hope this helps!