How to Infuse Herbs in Oil using a crock pot

How to infuse your lovely natural oil with herbs, crock-pot method.

updated Feb 2017

I wanted olive oil infused with fresh rosemary but am too impatient to do the solar infused method of putting the oil in a mason jar, adding the rosemary ( or herb of choice ) and waiting the weeks necessary for the miracle to happen. Impatience has always been my down fall. Ask my husband.  

I had heard about the stove top method, that intrigued me, but when I read about the crock-pot method I knew I had found my nirvana.

Here's How:

You will need a crock-pot, use one that is reliable in its temperature and one that you are familiar with. Why?   

Because you do not want a crock-pot that will overheat and cook your oil rather than infuse it.

I put in 2 cups of olive oil and two handfuls of rosemary,  how strong you want your infusion determines how much herb you put in. I wanted mine strong.

I then stirred the oil and rosemary.  ( Don't rinse your rosemary and throw it in the pot wet. )

You want to heat your oil slowly.  I suggest keeping the oil temp between 120 - 130 F

I got out my thermometer and kept an eye on it. It did go up to 140 F at one point, I turned off the crock for a bit. All was fine.

Let your oil simmer for an hour or so,  then let it cool down.  Heat it up again, let cool again.  If your crock-pot is steady in it's temp and will not overheat you can set it and let it heat for a few hours now.

When done, allow oils to cool.

Strain oil through a cheese cloth, a clean kitchen towel or nylon stocking. Squeeze all the oil out of the herbs.

You now have a lovely herbal infused oil.  Use your oil as you normally would in your bath and body products.  Mine is intended for soap.

This method worked great.

Method #  2
Another way I've seen herbal infusions in the crock-pot is to simply put herbs into a small mason jar, fill jar with your oil, put lid on, place jar in bottom of crock-pot. Then fill crock pot with water half way up the mason jar.  Crock-pot set to low.  Allow to heat for several hours.  Strain your herbs, and enjoy
your herbal infusion.

Enjoy.....Anna