Lemon Infused Olive Oil (Easy & Food-Safe)
Homemade lemon infused olive oil with a bright citrus lift and a peppery finish from fresh extra virgin olive oil. Made two food-safe ways, warm steep or cold with dried zest, for drizzling over fish, vegetables, and warm bread.
Recipe Success Tips
Zest only the yellow, never the white.
The yellow peel holds the fragrant citrus oils you want, while the white pith underneath turns the oil bitter. Use a peeler or microplane and stop the moment you hit white. A light hand here keeps the finished oil clean and bright.
Use dried zest for the long-keeping version.
Fresh peel carries water, and water in oil is what makes infused oils risky over time. Drying the zest first, in a low oven or air-dried for a day, removes that water so a cold infusion keeps for months in a cool, dark cupboard.
Keep the warm steep gentle.
You want the oil warm enough to release the citrus aroma, not frying. Heat only until you see the first tiny bubbles at the edge, then pull it off. High heat scorches the zest and dulls the fresh olive oil flavor you paid for.
Start with a fresh, peppery bottle.
Since the oil is the dish, use a fresh Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil so its grassy, peppery finish shows through the lemon. A tired or flat oil gives you lemon scent over nothing, and the whole point is that first peppery lift.
Taste before you bottle.
Citrus intensity varies by lemon, so dip a piece of bread and taste once the oil has steeped. If it reads faint, add a little more zest and give it more time rather than overheating it to force flavor.
Ingredients
16
servings
- 1 cup Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 lemons, well scrubbed and dried (for zest)
- 1 pinch sea salt, a small pinch (optional, warm method only)
Kitchen Tools You'll Need
Vegetable Peeler or Microplane
Small Saucepan
Fine-Mesh Strainer
Clean Glass Bottle or Jar
Funnel
How to Cook Lemon Infused Olive Oil (Easy & Food-Safe)
PREP
1
Scrub the lemons under running water and dry them well. Using a peeler or microplane, take off only the bright yellow zest in wide strips or fine shavings, leaving the bitter white pith behind. You want the zest from about two lemons for one cup of oil.
2
Decide your method. For a cold, long-keeping oil, spread the zest on a tray and let it dry fully, air-dried overnight or in a very low oven, until it feels papery. For a quick oil you will use within a few days, you can keep the zest fresh and go straight to the warm steep.
INFUSE
3
Warm method: combine the Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the fresh zest, and a small pinch of sea salt in a small saucepan. Warm gently over low heat only until the first faint bubbles appear at the edges, then take it off the heat. Its grassy, peppery character rises to meet the lemon as it steeps. Let it stand off the heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
4
Cold method: combine the same oil with the fully dried zest in a clean jar, seal, and let it sit in a cool, dark spot for 3 to 5 days, giving it a gentle swirl once a day. This route keeps the fresh olive oil flavor at its liveliest since nothing is heated.
FINISH
5
Strain the oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean, dry glass bottle, pressing gently on the zest to catch every bit of flavor. Discard the spent zest. Taste on a piece of bread: you should get lemon up front and a clean peppery finish underneath.
6
Label and date the bottle. Use the warm, fresh-zest oil within a few days from the refrigerator; the cold, dried-zest oil keeps for a few months in a cool, dark cupboard. Drizzle over fish, vegetables, grains, or warm bread right before serving.
Recipe Notes
Any oil infused with fresh produce carries a real botulism risk if it is made or stored carelessly, because fresh peel adds water and creates a low-oxygen, low-acid environment where bacteria can grow. Keep it simple and safe: for a long-keeping oil, use fully DRIED zest, which adds no water, and store it in a cool, dark place. If you use FRESH zest (the warm method), treat it like a fresh food: keep it refrigerated and use it within about four days, and throw out any infused oil that smells off or was left at room temperature. When in doubt, make a small batch and use it up quickly.
This oil loves anything that wants brightness. Drizzle it over baked white fish like our baked tilapia with lemon, spoon it across roasted vegetables, or use it as a finishing thread on soups and grain bowls. For a pure hit of oil and citrus, it is a natural next to a lemon olive oil shot.
Whisk it with a little acid and mustard to build a quick lemon vinaigrette, or stir a spoonful into a lemon aioli for a brighter, more fragrant dip. You can also add a strip of rosemary or a few peppercorns to the infusion, and remember that plain olive oil and lemon juice is the fastest version when you have no time to infuse.
Because you taste this oil raw, the bold, peppery Ultra High Phenolic is the one to reach for, and it is what makes the citrus feel alive. Prefer a gentler, less peppery result? The milder High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil gives a smoother, more rounded lemon oil. Either way, store the finished bottle away from light and heat so it stays fresh and flavorful.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 tablespoon
Calories
120
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g18%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 12g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 0mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 0g0%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 0g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 0g0%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Vitamin E 2mg13%
Vitamin K 8mcg7%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits
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Frequently Asked Questions
Peel the bright yellow zest from a couple of lemons, then either warm it gently in olive oil until the first bubbles appear and steep for about 30 minutes, or combine dried zest with the oil and let it infuse cold for a few days. Strain out the zest and bottle the oil.
It is safe when you handle the water correctly. Fresh peel adds moisture, which is what creates botulism risk in oils over time, so use fully dried zest for anything you want to keep, or refrigerate a fresh-zest oil and use it within about four days. Discard any oil that smells off.
A cold oil made with fully dried zest keeps for a few months in a cool, dark cupboard. A warm oil made with fresh zest should be refrigerated and used within about four days for safety.
Dried zest is the safer choice for a long-keeping oil because it adds no water. Fresh zest gives a slightly brighter, more perfumed result but must be refrigerated and used quickly.
Since you taste the oil raw, use a fresh, flavorful extra virgin olive oil. A high-phenolic oil like our Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil brings a peppery backbone that stands up to the citrus instead of disappearing under it.
Bitterness almost always comes from the white pith. Zest only the yellow layer of the peel and stop as soon as you reach the white, and avoid overheating the oil, which can also turn it harsh.
Zest carries the fragrant citrus oils that flavor the infusion, so it is the better choice. Lemon juice adds water and acidity and is better whisked into a dressing at serving time rather than infused into oil.
Drizzle it over baked fish, roasted or grilled vegetables, grain bowls, soups, salads, and warm bread. It is a finishing oil, so add it right before serving to keep the citrus and pepper bright.
It is a whole-food way to add flavor, and olive oil is the cornerstone fat of the Mediterranean-diet pattern, rich in monounsaturated fats and, in a fresh high-phenolic oil, polyphenols like hydroxytyrosol. Using it raw is a nice way to get that character straight to the plate.
Refrigerate any oil made with fresh zest and use it within a few days. A cold oil made with fully dried zest can be stored in a cool, dark cupboard, though the fridge extends its life too.
