Lemon Infused Oil in a Mason Jar
Lemon infused oil is my culinary secret weapon & today I’m sharing my easiest method for making this delicious infused oil. I love to use this infused oil when roasting vegetables like asparagus or broccoli
Sometimes I like to make this oil with some additional herbs, other times I just use lemon zest, both options are delicious
Equipment:
Mason jar with lid
Vegetable peeler
Chopstick, or something to stir your oil
Fine mesh strainer
Muslin or a coffee filter if you add herbs to your oil infusion
Bowl
Storage container
Fruit & vegetable wash
Ingredients:
5 Lemons, more or less to taste
Avocado Oil OR Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
Instructions:
Wash your lemons to ensure no residual pesticides, herbicides or waxes are left behind. A simple solution could be 1 part white distilled vinegar to 4 parts water submerging your fruit for a few minutes then rinsing thoroughly
Using a vegetable peeler carefully peel away the zest of your lemon. Be sure to only peel the zest & leave as much of the white pith behind. Leaving behind some of the pith is alright, but it might make your oil taste bitter if too much is left behind
Put your lemons zest in a mixing bowl & sprinkle with salt
Massage the salt into the zest for a few minutes. You’ll notice the oils start to release from the lemon which is what you want
Put the zest in a mason jar. If you wanted to add some additional herbs do so now
Cover with the oil making sure that everything is fully submerged. Stir the contents of your jar to ensure all parts of your lemon zest are covered in oil
Add a lid to your jar & allow the jar to sit in your kitchen for 1 week making sure you shake the jar daily. If you forget to shake it, it will be alright
After your oil has had a chance to infused it’s time to strain it. If you added additional herbs use cheesecloth, muslin or a coffee filter to help strain them out. If you only used lemon peels a fine mesh strainer will be enough
Pour your oil into your preferred storage container.
Shelf life:
Few months on the counter.
You can increase the shelf life drastically by storing the oil in the refrigerator. Just be sure to remove it from the fridge an hour before you want to use it as it will become solidified in colder temperature
Image of a mason jar with lemon zest submerged in oil