Infusing Flax, Chia & Hemp Seeds in Olive oil for Salad Dressing

June 11, 2013

Buying flax seed oil is expensive, let's face it. And you have to keep it refrigerated, so if you are travelling, you can't bring it with you. Also, it doesn't taste that great in any sort of dresssing, or to combine with food. Really, the best and if you are considering taste, only way to take it is in a teaspoon or tablespoon, with a chaser that will kill the aftertaste, kind of like taking tequilla with lime. So, I went looking for an alternative. I decided to infuse the chia, flax and hemp seeds in olive oil, to see if I could get the restorative & regenerative properties from the seeds into an oil that I can use to flavor foods, such as in a homemade salad dressing. You can make a whole lot more of this on your own than you can buy in the store, and you can make it where and when you want, in the amounts you need at the time, with or without refrigeration.

My favorite oil to use for salad dressing is Olive Oil, and it is great for infusing flavors and herbs. So, take 1/2 cup of olive oil, add 3 tbsp of ground flax seed, 1 tbsp of chia seed and combine in a glass jar or bottle. Heat water in crock pot to somewhere between 100 - 130 degrees and let the oil in the glass jar or bottle sit in the hot water for 3-5 hours. I add the hemp seeds last since they are much softer and do not require anywhere near as much time for its properties to infuse in the oil.

Next Step: Remove from heat, add hemp seeds and return to heat for another hour.
Next Step: Remove from heat, strain oil through cheesecloth or strainer and return to glass jar or bottle, wait for it to cool & then use!