How to Make Rosemary and Garlic Infused Oil
Infused oils are usually used to flavor meats, vegetables and a wide variety of dishes where we want flavors to shine.
In addition, they give our body important benefits that’ll improve health and prevent diseases thanks to the properties of their ingredients.
Since many people still haven’t tried infused oils yet, we want to share a recipe for rosemary and garlic infused oil in this article.
Enjoy!
Rosemary and garlic infused oil
Rosemary and garlic infused oil has become one of the most popular products in Mediterranean cooking.
You can make it by leaving rosemary and garlic to infuse with extra virgin olive oil.
The mixture of these ingredients concentrates powerful antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. Plus, they contribute in improving many aspects of your health once in your body.
The benefits of rosemary
- Its special flavor allows us to season meat dishes, sauces, soups and many other traditional recipes.
- Rosemary contains caffeic and rosmarinic acid. These acids have powerful antioxidant effects that protect the body.
- The herb is ideal for treating digestive, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
- In addition, its carnosic acid content boasts neuroprotective properties. This helps reduce memory loss and the risk of Alzheimer’s.
- Rosemary has anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties that help improve blood circulation. Plus, it also soothes joint pain.
The benefits of garlic
Garlic is must-have kitchen ingredient because it of its unmistakable flavor and aroma that highlight the flavors of countless dishes.
- It’s known as one of the most powerful natural antibiotics because it can kill various pathogenic microorganisms in addition to stopping them from growing.
- Garlic’s active ingredient, allicin, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that work great to relieve various types of pain.
- In addition, garlic helps protect cells against the effects of oxidative stress. Plus, it also prevents cognitive functions from deteriorating.
- It’s a helpful ingredient for patients with high cholesterol because it can help regulate their levels.
- Finally, garlic’s high content of vitamins and minerals strengthen your immune system and reduces your risk of respiratory problems and autoimmune diseases.
The benefits of extra-virgin olive oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is one of the healthy fats that everyone should include in their dietary plan.
- Its monounsaturated fatty acids help regulate cholesterol levels, making it great for preventing cardiovascular diseases.
- Plus, consuming extra-virgin oil helps raise levels of good cholesterol (HDL). If that wasn’t enough, it controls high triglycerides as well.
- Extra-virgin olive oil delivers healthy quantities of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a nutrient that serves as an antioxidant, aiding in the prevention of arterial deterioration caused by free radicals.
- In addition, this oil has digestive and anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve constipation, acid and abdominal swelling.
- Plus, it’s great for preventing joint and muscle deterioration.
- Thanks to its high caloric value, it helps your metabolism work better, aiding in weight loss.
How to prepare this infused oil
If you want to take advantage of everything these ingredients have to offer and add a little something extra to your dishes, we suggest that you make this delicious infused oil at home.
Here’s how:
Ingredients
- 3 springs of fresh rosemary
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup of olive oil (200 g)
Utensils
- Glass jar, with cap
- Cheesecloth
Preparation
- First, wash the rosemary springs well and let them dry in the sun.
- After, when dry, cut them into several pieces and put them in the glass jar.
- Next, slice the garlic cloves or lightly smash them with a mortar and pestle.
- Then, add them to the jar and cover the ingredients with a cup of olive oil.
- Close the jar and let everything meld together for 30 days in a dark, dry place.
- During this time, shake the jar every once in a while so the ingredients combine well.
- After 30 days have passed, filter the oil using the cheesecloth and use in your dishes.
Use
- Splash a dash of oil on your salads, soups and vegetable recipes.
- Incorporate it in your meat and fish dishes.
Are you ready to add it to your table? As you can see, it’s a simple and healthy recipe that’ll let you prepare tastier – and healthier – meals.
You’ll love it!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Erkan, N., Ayranci, G., & Ayranci, E. (2008). Antioxidant activities of rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis L.) extract, blackseed (Nigella sativa L.) essential oil, carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid and sesamol. Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.01.058
- Benkeblia, N. (2004). Antimicrobial activity of essential oil extracts of various onions (Allium cepa) and garlic (Allium sativum). LWT – Food Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2003.09.001
- Tripoli, E., Giammanco, M., Tabacchi, G., Di Majo, D., Giammanco, S., & La Guardia, M. (2005). The phenolic compounds of olive oil: structure, biological activity and beneficial effects on human health. Nutrition Research Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1079/NRR200495
