Last year in the late fall I happened to score an oregano plant on the clearance isle. It was the end of the season and apparently there wasn’t anyone but me interested in planting herbs. There was one lonely little guy crying out for a little love and a bigger planter but overall it looked to be in good health. The ridiculously low price convinced me to take it home.
Oregano is one of the easiest herbs I have ever grown. Give it some water and plenty of sunshine and you will be rewarded with more Oregano than you will know what to do with. I have mine planted in a container, on my patio in a nice sunny spot. Not only is it a beautiful herb that looks more like an ornamental plant but it’s vigorous growth blesses me with an abundance of Oregano to use in my cooking.
Oregano is flavorful and oh so easy to add to your diet. It’s perfect in most Italian and Mediterranean dishes; add it to marinara sauces, pizzas or Greek recipes. I love adding whole oregano leaves in with other greens for a nutrient, flavor-packed salad. I even sprinkle the leaves into chili, soups and stews.
Since I am blessed with a plethora of Oregano I did some research for additional uses. I found out that Oregano has numerous health benefits I wan’t even aware of. It turns out it’s quite the wonder herb!
- Oregano has amazing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
- It’s high in antioxidants, which can help prevent damage by neutralizing disease-causing free radicals.
- Studies show that oregano and its components may be effective against certain strains of bacteria.
- It’s high in antioxidants and contains compounds that have been shown to reduce cancer cell growth in some studies.
- Carvacrol and thymol are two compounds found in oregano. These compounds have been shown to decrease the activity of viruses in some studies.
In addition to using it as an herb in your recipes, Oregano can also be used to infuse olive oil which you can then use in your cooking. Making it yourself is so much more affordable than purchasing flavored oils at specialty shops. Have you seen the price for herb flavored olive oils? Holy smokes, they will set you back a pretty penny!
I have good news. You don’t have to shell out a small fortune for herb infused oils, with a little patience you can easily make it yourself.
Growing oregano organically in your garden and using to make your own infused oil will not only save you a truckload of money, but you will know exactly what is in it.
FYI: Oregano oil is fantastic for relief from poison ivy, poison oak, and for soothing an ear ache. Its anti-fungal properties also makes it a wonderful all natural remedy to treat fungal toes or feet.
You’re not going to believe how easy it is to make your own Oregano infused olive oil. Start by harvesting several stems from your plant.
Wash the leaves to remove any dirt and dust. Pull the leaves off of the woody stems.
Place the leaves on a paper towel and pat them dry. You don’t want any moisture on the leaves when you place them in the jar.
Place oregano leaves in a clean glass jar. I filled the jar pretty full with leaves because I have so much oregano on hand.
Add olive oil to the jar. Be sure to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Add enough oil to completely cover the leaves in the jar. Leave about a half an inch of air space at the top of the jar.
Seal the jar with a tight fitting lid.
Bring a pan of water to a boil. Once the water boils, place the glass jar in the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
FYI: As the oil inside the jar heats up, it will help to release the natural oils from the oregano leaves.
After 10 minutes, carefully remove the jar from the pan.
Allow the contents in the jar to cool to room temperature.
Soak the herbs in the olive oil for two weeks in a cool, dark location. I store mine in a dark corner of my pantry.
Place a label on the jar so you know when you made the oil. Be sure to do this. I promise you will forget the date if you don’t label the jar. Ask me how I know…LOL.
Shake the jar a couple times a day. Don’t worry if you forget, just give the jar a good shake when you happen to see it hanging out in your pantry.
After the herbs have soaked in the olive oil for 2 weeks, strain out the herbs and decant the herb infused oil into a clean glass bottle or glass jar.
Use the herb infused oil for cooking and healing purposes.
FYI: Herb infused oil will keep for 1-2 months if stored in a cool, dark location.
Here is a list of just a few herbs and foods that can be used to make flavor infused olive oils:
- Thyme
- Garlic, peeled and crushed cloves
- Basil
- Oregano
- Jalapeño peppers (slice them into rings, then soak them in oil)
FYI: Chopping or crushing fresh leaves provides the most flavor when using oregano in your cooking. Add fresh oregano to recipes at the end of the cooking process for best flavor and results.
Not only is oregano a beautiful, easy to grow plant in your garden, it’s a delicious herb to add to many of your recipes and the oil has so many beneficial health benefits. Whether you use it to enhance your cooking or use it topically to treat fungal toes or feet, Oregano is truly a wonder herb!!!
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I don’t always have olive oil on hand & like avocado oil for every day use because it keeps longer. Have you tried this with any other oils?
This is my first attempt but I have loads of herbs growing in my garden that I will be trying later this summer; basil, thyme, mint. I love the idea of using avocado oil!