Garlic is perhaps my favorite herb of all. There are not really any drawbacks to it that I know of.
- It’s easy to grow
- It tastes GREAT in hundreds of dishes
- It has multiple medicinal properties.
- It smells WONDERFUL.
For this article, I will explain how to make your own garlic oil. Garlic oil has many uses, but it is rather expensive. A 1-ounce bottle usually runs between $12 to $15. For about the same amount, you make an entire quart of garlic oil that will be even stronger than the store bought.
Image source: Pixabay
Supplies:
- A glass container to make it in. I usually make it by the quart using a quart sized Mason Jar. Once it is made, you can divide it up into smaller bottles.
- Enough chopped, fresh garlic to fill your container ¼ full. I never measure mine. Just eye it and keep adding chopped garlic till it is about ¼ full. Chop your garlic into small pieces or better yet, chop it up in a food processor. Your goal is to provide as much surface area for the oil to touch as possible.
- Use a high-quality oil. I usually use Virgin Olive Oil because I like how fast it soaks into the skin. I have used almond oil and it worked fine also. But I would not use a highly processed oil like canola or vegetable oil. The better the oil, the high quality your garlic oil will be. Of course, during the zombie invasion, any type of oil would be better than going without. For now, it is more of how it feels on your skin, than anything.
That is it, just 2 simple ingredients and a jar to make it in.
Step 1
Place chopped garlic in the jar.
Step 2
Cover jar with cheese cloth or any cotton cloth and put a rubber band or string around it to hold the cloth in place. You want air to be able to get into the jar, but keep flies and such out.
Step 3
Please the jar in a cabinet or on a counter top that does not get direct light. It doesn’t have to be dark, but you don’t want direct sunlight to get on it either. You want to give the good bacteria time to start fermenting.
If within about 3 days you do not see some fairly active bubbling going on, it is probably too cool or it is getting too much sunlight. I do almost all of my fermenting and sprouting in an old igloo cooler. The outside became so beat-up I was ashamed to carry it anywhere but it was still in good shape otherwise. Makes the perfect place to keep ferments and sprouts warm and away from sunlight.
When it stops bubbling, it’s done
The amount of time it takes to make depends on many factors including how much good, wild bacteria is in your garlic, the temperature, and sunlight. I have had batches complete within 3 days. Most take a week to 10 days, but I tend to let mine sit a month or more, unless I am completely out and need it sooner.
I once forgot about a jar and it set for over 6 months in my pantry. It was still perfectly good. In fact, if you want you can leave the chopped garlic in it. It makes a prettier oil if you filter out the garlic chunks. If you choose to do so, put them in a jar in the fridge and use them like any of the store bought chopped garlics in oil. It really is the exact same thing.
What do you use it for
Garlic will cure foot fungus. You might have to rub your feet down every night for several weeks, but you will feel a difference after just one time. About once a month, I rub my feet down about 30 minutes before bedtime, even when I don’t have athlete’s foot. It helps prevent it from getting started and it is a good moisturizer for your skin.
When I get an ear ache, I put a drop or two in my ear. It has antibacterial properties that can helps kill off any bad germs and soothes the ear at the same time.
There are other medicinal uses for it and I will go over them in the main article on garlic. You can also cook with it. Add a little to the skillet and cook in it as you would with any other oil. Just remember, if you use an oil that can’t handle high heat, cook at lower temperatures. You’ll get that garlic taste and aroma, without having to chop any extra garlic.
I hope you found this to be helpful. I will try to get the main garlic article finished sometime today, but it might be tomorrow. During the holiday season, I've had a lot of unexpected company this past week and never know when someone else will show up.
Love and Peace
From Denise