It’s hard to believe it is already December and it’s time to start thinking about holiday gifting. One of my favorite things about this time of the year is making homemade gifts for friends and family. Last year, I made a few desserts and boxed them in cute containers, but this year I wanted to try something different.
I love cooking with olive oil. Recently, we bought flavored olive oil from a speciality store and just love it! Not only can you use the oil as a base to a salad dressing or use it to sauté vegetables, you can also toss the oil with your favorite pasta. One night while cooking dinner about a month ago, I thought homemade olive oil would make the perfect gift for a holiday gift basket!
Although the recipe is super easy, I must mention an important warning when working with infused olive oils. If the lemon, or any herb you decide to use, is not cleaned and completely dried, bacteria can grow on the lemon or herbs and can be very dangerous. If you decide to keep the lemon peel in the oil {for a more robust flavor} be sure that the oil is covering the lemon peel completely. Also, it’s important to keep the infused olive oil in the refrigerator. You can read more about creating safe homemade oils here. Be sure to include these instructions with your gift basket if you are handing these out this holiday season. The olive oil should be good, in the refrigerator, for about a month.
Lemon Olive Oil
{what you will need}
Zest of 1 lemon {completely cleaned and dried}
1 1/2 cup light olive oil
{instructions}
Clean the lemon and allow to dry completely, about 1 hour. Using a vegetable peeler, zest the lemon in long pieces, but try to avoid the bitter, white part of the lemon. Place the olive oil and the lemon peel in a small saucepan and heat on medium for about 5 minutes, just until the oil begins to bubble. Allow to cool before transferring to decorative container.
Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful weekend!
What a great homemade gift idea! Thanks so much for sharing!
Fashion Soup
I love this idea and am going to try it! Thanks for sharing!
Jill
Doused In Pink
What a great gift idea! Love the adorable bottle!!
Xoxo,
Whitney & Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
Olive oil + Lemon!! Yum!! Win Win. I'll make one for me and One as a gift, LOL!
Hi Rachel! This is such a great gift idea! Love the fact that is homemade! I will definitely give it a try! Like that it's an easy recipe and I promise to be careful with the fumes! 🙂
xoxo, Vanessa
http://www.WhatWouldVWear.net
PS: I meant to say bacteria not fumes, sorry!
Super cute idea! And I love the little bottle too 🙂
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
Such a great idea!!
XO Chelsea http://www.shesaidhesaidfashion.com
superb idea
thanksfor sharing
http://weirdthoughts13.blogspot.in/
Such an easy Gifting Idea. I'll surely try it
xoxo – Style.. A Pastiche
I bet this is so delicious, and what a great gift idea! Thanks for the warnings on how to prepare!
xo, Whitney and Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
What a great DIY and gift!! So tasty! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
What a fun diy gift! Happy Friday!
This would be such a great gift! Homemade, special, and very usable.
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
i can imagine myself making my ceasar dressing with this for that zesty kick! lovely idea. thanks! <3
http://notjessfashion.com/beautiful-mornings/
I love the idea of a homemade gift! I usually bake a bunch of different cookies but this olive oil sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
xMC
http://mc2squared.blogspot.com
What a fabulous gift idea! I love lemons and I love cooking with olive oil so this is a win-win <3
Green Fashionista
I always use olive oil and lemon or vinegar to dress my salads. I'm sure I would love this homemade lemon olive oil. Thanks for the warning!! Have a great weekend, Rachel!
Danielle
http://www.spring2spring.com
This is SUCH a good idea…love love love!!!! Hope you had a great week!
Laura
http://www.24-7style.com
Yum! This sounds so easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing 😀