Preparation:
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Drop the basil leaves, and stir. Cook the leaves for 45 seconds, just until the water returns to a boil. Drain the leaves in a colander, and rinse them under cold water until they are cool. Drain again, then press the leaves gently between your palms to remove excess water.
Place the leaves in a blender with the salt and 1/2 cup of the canola oil. Process the mixture for 1 minutes (stopping the machine a few times and pushing any of the mixture collected on the sides of the blender bowl down into the mixture), until you have a smooth puree. Then add the remaining 2 cups of oil, and process for 5 seconds.
Transfer the basil oil to a jar or bottle, cover, and refrigerate. After two days, you will notice that the solids will sink to the bottom, and the green oil will rise to the top. Use as needed over the next eight to ten days, shaking the jar first to recombine the mixture. Alternately, after at least two days (but no more than ten days), strain the mixture through a kitchen towel, pressing on it to extrude as much of the oil as possible. Discard the solids, place the oil in a clean jar or bottle, cover and refrigerate until needed. |
