Herbs have many wonderful properties that can enhance your food while stimulating the appetite and encouraging effective digestion. Adding herbs to your culinary creations can introduce new flavors and provide untold benefits to your family. Herbal oils and vinegars are perfect in this capacity and can be wonderful gifts for family or friends.

Herbal oils are quite easy to make and have a wide application in salad dressings, marinades and simply for dipping a crusty piece of bread. Lovely, unusual bottles are quite easy to find in home stores to display your gorgeous oils. When you master the art of beautiful herb oil, try your hand at different combination for sweet oils and fragrant spice oils.

Herbal vinegars can be delicious in sauces, salads and gravies. They also are very attractive when displayed, as a useful housewarming or as a hostess gift.

Try these easy recipes and create an interesting myriad of lovely oils and vinegars for your family. Always sterilize the final display bottles after thoroughly washing them in hot soapy water. You can place the bottle, seals and lids in boiling water to sterilize or place them in a baking pan, bake in a 200 F oven for 40 minutes and then let the bottles cool in oven until you can handle them.

Lemongrass Oil

• 2 stalks of Lemongrass


• 6 fresh lime or lemon leaves


• 3 half-inch pieces of fresh peeled ginger


• 4 cups of good quality olive oil

1. Thoroughly wash and dry a jar that holds 1 litre of liquid


2. Lightly crush lemongrass, ginger and leaves with flat of a knife


3. Put crushed herbs into clean jar and pour in oil


4. Leave the oil for 3-4 days to infuse the flavors


5. Pour into decorative bottles and seal

Basil Oil

• 8 Tbsps fresh basil leaves


• 1 cup boiling water


• 4 cups good quality olive oil

1. Thoroughly wash and dry a jar that holds 1 liter of liquid


2. Put basil leaves in bowl and cover for 1 minute with boiling water


3. Drain off water and pat leaves dry


4. Process basil and oil in processor until well combined


5. Pour into jar and let stand for 3-4 days to infuse flavor


6. Strain oil into decorative bottles

Floral Vinegar

• 20 Tbsps chopped herb flowers such as lavender, rose petals, thyme, sweet violets, nasturtiums and primrose


• 4 cups white wine vinegar

1. Pick through flowers, remove stems and damaged parts


2. Lightly crush selected flowers


3. Heat half of the vinegar until warm and pour over crushed flowers


4. Pound again to release flavor and let cool


5. Mix in remaining vinegar and pour into sealable clean jar


6. Seal with acid proof lid and place in sunny area for at least 2 weeks


7. Shake jar every day and test flavor after the time has passed


8. If you need a stronger flavor, strain out flowers and repeat the process with new flowers


9. Strain infused vinegar through fine cheesecloth and pour vinegar into decorative bottles


10. Place a sprig of the herb flower into the finished product and seal