A bottle containing oil extracted from the peel of fresh lemons kept atop a wooden table
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5 from 5 votes

How To Make Lemon Oil

An easy way to prepare the multi-purpose oil at home!
Prep Time10 mins
Passive Time14 d
Total Time14 d 10 mins
Course: Oil
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: lemon oil
Appliance: Refrigerator, Hot plate
Servings: 1 small jar

Ingredients

Cold Method (Total time: 2 weeks)

  • 6 whole lemons
  • 3 cups olive oil (extra virgin preferable)

Hot Method (Total time: 45 mins)

  • 6 whole lemons
  • 3 cups coconut oil

Instructions

Cold Method

  • Wash the lemons thoroughly under running water and leave them for 2 hours to dry completely.
  • Peel the skin of the lemons and keep the fruit pulp separate. You may keep the pulp to make lemon juice, lemon tart, or any other lemon recipe later. Make sure that the peel you've removed does not contain fruit pulp or the bitter white pith attached to it. Lemon oil can only be prepared with the lemon peel.
    Scraping the lemon peel using a peeler
  • Grate the lemon peel in a bowl or any other container. This will provide a better surface area. You may skip this step if you feel you have peeled it fine enough.
    Lemon peel scraped using a grater
  • Put the peel into a glass jar container, having an air-tight lid. To avoid any chemical reactions, the glass jar is the most preferred.
  • Put the extra virgin olive oil in the jar, stir well, and close the lid.
  • Place the jar in a dry place for 1-2 weeks. Keep shaking the jar at least once every day.
  • Strain the oil into another glass jar using a strainer.
  • Store it in a dark place away from sunlight.
    A bottle containing lemon oil kept next to sliced lemons atop a wooden table

Hot Method

  • Wash the lemons and pat them dry using a paper towel. Leave it for another half an hour to dry completely.
  • Peel each lemon, make sure not to remove the bitter white pith along with the zest.
    A bowl containing lemon peel
  • Put the lemon in a small pot and pour the coconut oil over it.
  • Heat the oil and bring it to simmer for 5 mins, then allow it to cool.
  • Strain the oil into an airtight glass jar and store it in a dark room or the refrigerator.
    A bottle of lemon oil kept next to lemons, on a wooden table

Notes

Lemon oil prepared from either way can be stored for about one month.
Feel free to use any other oil if you wish, but the mentioned oils for both processes work the best in the given scenarios.