How To Make Oil Of Oregano

courtesy of LiveStrong

Oil of oregano is a beneficial oil used for cooking and massage. Oil of oregano is beneficial for sinus and respiratory infections, according to Valerie Ann Worwood, author of "The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy." You can produce essential oil of oregano, using a complex distillation process, but that requires a lot of special, and expensive, equipment. You can also make infused oil of oregano using a light carrier oil and fresh oregano. The infusion method does not produce essential oil of oregano but it does produce an effective oil that you can use for cooking, massage and other purposes.

Step 1

Sterilize an 8-oz glass jar with metal lid---immerse both in boiling water for 10 minutes. Set both the jar and lid, face down, on a kitchen towel to dry.

Step 2

Pour 1 cup of grape seed oil into a microwave-safe measuring cup and warm the oil in the microwave in one-minute increments. The oil should be slightly warmer than body temperature, but not boiling.

Step 3

Add 1 cup of fresh oregano into a 1-qt. zip-closure freezer baggie---do not seal the bag. Shake the oregano leaves to the bottom of the bag and roll the bag into a cylinder.

Step 4

Wrap a second kitchen towel around the bag and pound on the rolled towel with a meat mallet. The meat mallet will crush the leaves, to express the natural oils, while the towel protects the plastic bag.

Step 5

Pour the warm oil into the bag, with the oregano. Seal the baggie and squeeze the oil and oregano mixture for one minute.

Step 6

Pour the oil and oregano mixture into the sterilized jar and store the jar in a cool, dry place for two weeks. At the end of two weeks, strain the oil into a new, sterilized jar.

Tips and Warnings

• For stronger oil, repeat Steps 1 through 5 using the infused oil and fresh oregano. Double the batch by using 2 cups of oregano to 2 cups oil. If you do not want to use plastic, you can crush the leaves in a ceramic mortar and pestle or crush them on a cutting board.
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• Do not use dried oregano as there may not be enough oil in the leaves to infuse properly. Do not overheat the oil. The oil needs to be hot enough to express the natural oils in the oregano but cool enough that you can pour it into the plastic bag and manipulate it with your hands.

Things You'll Need

• 8-oz glass jars with metal lids
• Kitchen towels
• 1 cup grape seed oil
• Microwave-safe measuring cup
• 1 cup fresh oregano
• 1-qt. zip-closure freezer baggie
• Meat mallet

References

• The Complete Book of Essential Oils; Valerie Ann Worwood; 1991
• The Herbal Home Spa; Greta Breedlove; 1998