HEALING ROSEMARY OIL

When I began studying herbalism at the beginning of the first year every student was assigned a special project. The project was to choose a plant to work with for an entire year observing it throughout each season.

It could be any plant a flower or a tree, but the key was to wait, observe nature and let the plant choose us. The plant that chose me was rosemary!

Looking back I now realise it made sense for rosemary to be my special plant. Where I live in Southern Italy rosemary grows wild. I can smell it in the breeze when I’m walking outside and I even have a huge 5-foot plant growing under my kitchen window.

Rosemary should have always been an obvious choice for me, but at the time I was truly oblivious to it. Up to that point I rarely ever used it in any of my cooking.

So in that first year, I followed the assignment and did everything with this plant. I studied it, grew it, picked it, foraged it, dried it, cooked with it, made potions and balms, burned it as incense, healed cuts, burns and bacterial infections, I used it to cure my dog's dry paws and I massaged its oil on my scalp every evening and watched my hair grow strong and long.

But before I embarked on that year-long journey into the world of rosemary I had no idea that one simple culinary herb could be so powerful, but it is! Rosemary is a medicinal herb that has been praised for its healing powers since ancient times and I was fortunate to experience its folklore and healing powers first-hand.

From then on rosemary became part of my life. Now in my home, you will always find bunches of rosemary hanging upside down to dry and my cupboards are always filled with oil infusions.

If you learn to make one thing this year let it be this recipe for rosemary-infused olive oil. Even if you think you don’t like rosemary you will eventually love it once you realise all the healing benefits it can offer you.

Once you’ve made your very own rosemary oil you can use it as a culinary remedy or an age-defying beauty elixir. I know that you will be so happy with the results and will want to make it again and again.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Not only is rosemary oil a delicious culinary treat that can be added to any of your favourite dishes such as rice, salad dressing, herbal tea, soups, steamed greens, roasted root vegetables, mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, freshly baked bread and more. Rosemary has many health benefits and some might even surprise you.

Immune Support: Rosemary helps to increase circulation to the brain, improving focus and memory and helps to ease headaches caused by nervous tension. Rosemary also stimulates digestion and helps with detoxification. Rosemary helps fight colds, sore throats, the flu, and coughs. It helps alleviate muscle pain and it can also help clear congestion from an infection. It contains B-complex vitamins including B6 and Folic acid, and vitamins A and C. Rosemary is a good source of calcium and iron, and also includes the minerals potassium, magnesium and zinc.

Hair Health: Rosemary oil stimulates blood circulation to the scalp and promotes hair growth. The oil offers an anti-inflammatory benefit that helps to nourish hair follicles. It also adds shine and lustre to the hair and is beneficial to moisturize the hair scalp and prevent flaking and dandruff. It works extremely well to prevent greying of hair, especially on the first signs of greying.

HOW TO MAKE ROSEMARY INFUSED OLIVE OIL  

To make this magical rosemary-infused olive oil you must use dried rosemary leaves. When I make this recipe I always pick the rosemary from my garden, dry it for a few months and then strip the dried leaves from the stem.

If you have a rosemary plant in your backyard then I do recommend doing it this way. It takes some patience to wait to dry out the rosemary, but there is nothing more rewarding than making something yourself and knowing exactly where your ingredients come from.

If you don’t have time to spare then you can buy dried rosemary leaves in bulk. Just make sure you buy organic otherwise the infusion process will also draw out the pesticides from the rosemary and you don’t want that in your body or on your skin.

To begin, break the dried rosemary leaves with your fingers to make them into smaller pieces then fill a dry sterilized glass jar half full with the dried rosemary.

The key is to use 1 part dried rosemary to 2 parts of olive oil. So if you are using 1 cup of rosemary leaves use 2 cups of olive oil to make the infusion.

Next, pour room-temperature olive oil into the jar with the rosemary leaves. Make sure the rosemary is completely covered. Use a clean, dry spoon to mix thoroughly so all surfaces of the herbs are coated and there are no air bubbles.

Seal the jar and place it in a dark cupboard. Let it infuse in the cupboard for a minimum of 4 weeks. Every few days check on the infusion and roll the jar around to ensure all the rosemary leaves are coated with olive oil.

Once it's ready decant the oil by straining it into a sterilized glass olive oil jar. You can use either a fine mesh strainer or a cheesecloth over a strainer to ensure no sediment goes into the oil.

Seal the jar and store it in a cool dark place. This recipe will last for up to 1 year when stored properly.

You can use this rosemary olive oil in any of your favourite recipes. You can also use it for hair care by massaging it onto your scalp to promote hair growth and inhibit greys.

I apply it once a week at night and then wash it out the next morning. You can use it as often as you like the results are fantastic!

INFUSION TIPS

• When infusing oil use 1 part dried rosemary to 2 parts of olive oil. So if you are using 1 cup of rosemary leaves use 2 cups of olive oil to make the infusion.

• Always make sure you use sterilised equipment that is completely dry. Any moisture that gets into your infusion will spoil the recipe.

• The longer you let the rosemary infuse in the oil the more potent and flavourful it will become. I have left mine for as long as 16 weeks. Leaving it longer works best if you will be using it for your hair or skin.

• Infused olive oil using dried herbs will last for a year if stored properly in a dark cupboard or in a dark glass jar.