BHA & BHT Free Garlic Basil Herb Oil
Bottled herb oils from the store often rely on synthetic preservatives to extend their shelf life, and if you're avoiding BHA and BHT, those labels can feel like a minefield. This recipe sidesteps all of that by using nothing but fresh, whole ingredients — extra-virgin olive oil, real garlic, and a handful of fragrant herbs straight from the garden or produce aisle. The technique is gentle and intentional: low heat coaxes the garlic to pale gold while thyme and rosemary slowly release their oils into the base, then fresh basil steeps off the heat to give the finished oil that gorgeous green tint and bright, summery aroma. Straining everything out leaves you with a clean, silky oil that tastes like it came from a specialty shop — because in a way, it did, and that shop is your kitchen. Drizzle it over pasta, brush it onto bread before toasting, or use it as a finishing oil for roasted vegetables and grilled proteins. Stored in a sealed jar, it keeps in the refrigerator for up to five days, so you can make a batch at the start of the week and reach for it whenever a dish needs a little lift. Simple, preservative-free, and genuinely delicious.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Set over the lowest heat your burner allows and warm until the oil reaches a gentle, lazy sizzle around the garlic — small bubbles forming slowly at the edges of the cloves, about 8–10 minutes. The garlic should turn pale golden and fragrant but not brown; if it begins to color quickly, lift the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.
- 2
Remove the pan from the heat and add the fresh basil leaves, pressing them gently into the warm oil with a spoon. Let the basil steep in the residual heat for 5 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and the oil is bright green-tinged and fragrant.
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