Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 2 lemon, peeled into strips
Base
- 250 ml extra virgin olive oil, room temperature
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Wash and dry the lemons thoroughly. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the zest in long strips, making sure to avoid the bitter white pith underneath.
Combine the olive oil and lemon zest strips in a small saucepan. Heat gently over low heat until the oil reaches 60°C/140°F. Do not let the oil bubble or boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the mixture to rest and cool down for 2 hours at room temperature, letting the citrus essential oils fully infuse into the olive oil.
Pour the infused oil through a fine mesh strainer into a clean, sterilized glass bottle. Discard the spent lemon zest and seal the bottle tightly.
Chef's Notes
- Safety first: Homemade infused oils carry a very small risk of botulism if fresh ingredients containing water are left in the oil at room temperature. Always strain out the fresh solids entirely and store your finished oil in the refrigerator.
- For the purest flavor, use organic, unwaxed lemons. Conventional protective waxes can dissolve into your warm oil and mute the delicate citrus notes.
- Maintain strict low heat during the infusion process. High heat will essentially fry the lemon peel and degrade the volatile, delicate flavor compounds of an extra virgin olive oil.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 weeks — Store in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth. The oil will solidify when chilled; let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before use to liquefy.
