Garlic Oil

I live in a fairly small prairie town. 

It's not very often I come across packages of peeled garlic cloves in the grocery store. Actually make that never. I only ever find them when I'm grocery shopping in someone else's town. But when I find 'em...I snap 'em up like nobody's (nobodies? spell check doesn't know) business.

Here's what I do with them....

Take some relatively decent olive oil and measure out about 1.5 cups. Pour it in a saucepan. Side note here - in no way am I claiming that this particular brand of olive oil is the bee's knees or the cat's meow or the be-all-end-all. But I KNOW it's not the worst one out there. I already bought the worst one out there and it tastes like tractor oil with toe jam mixed in. Or like I think tractor oil with toe jam mixed in would taste. So...if you're going to try this out for yourself...do yourself a favor and use a better-than-bottom-grade oil!

Next - pick out about 30 cloves of garlic and spread 'em out.

Them smush them with a quick slap on the back of a knife.

Pour them into the oil and heat over medium-low until the oil starts to bubble a little.

Turn the temperature down low enough that it keeps bubbling a little, but don't let it full out boil.

Cook for about 40 minutes or so until the garlic is nice and soft and smooshy.

Then pour the oil through a colander to strain out the nice and soft and smooshy garlic. Make sure you have a bowl under the colander!!! Duh.

Then go to your nearest dollar store and pick out the prettiest bottle you can find.

 I found ONE bottle in our town. It's not that pretty in my opinion, but it was the definitely prettiest one in town. Now you have to make sure that bottle is clean and dry. This is by far the hardest and most patience-wearing step in the process.

Then dig through all two of your drawers and a couple cupboards and look for your set of funnels. Rant and rave about how you can never find anything since you moved. Then your hubby will tell you to make a funnel out of aluminum foil. Marvel at his brilliance and realize once again why you married him.

Pour your lovely garlic oil into your pretty bottle and admire it for a while.

Now take the nice and soft and smooshy garlic cloves and put them in a mini food processor. I'm sure a blender would work just as well. Whip it up into a puree and put it into another nice jar that I forgot to tell you to buy at the dollar store earlier (sorry).

Now you have some very tasty oil and puree (store the puree in the fridge) that will add some really yummy flavor to anything that you want to add an extra kick of garlic to.

If you're anything like me, you'll put the oil in the cupboard and then completely forget that you have it.

BUT - if your brilliant hubby is anything like mine...he won't forget and he will use it every single time he cooks.

And then sing your praises for stocking the cupboard with such awesomeness.

Okay fine. I made that last part up.