Cinnamon is one of those herbs that not only smells good but tastes good! It’s also incredibly good for you which is why we did a post a while back called  The 12 Health Benefits of Cinnamon. We’re going to show you another way to use it by making your own cinnamon oil. It’s super easy and a lot less expensive than buying it!

Supplies

Approximate measurements are 2 cups extra virgin olive oil and 5 to 10 sticks depending on size. I just toss in sticks and cover them with olive oil. (I use sticks because it is less messy and much easier to work with.)

• Good quality cinnamon sticks.
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Clear jar for the first part of the process.
• Amber or green colored glass jar.* For storage after its made.  Wide mouthed is easiest to fit the sticks into. (Always store oils in a dark glass jar. No plastic. The jar must be dark because any light will affect the oil and make it lose its properties.)  Glass is always best as the oil can draw in chemicals from plastic.

NOTE: If you can't get a dark jar, use a clear jar. If you can't get a jar use plastic. Despite the fact that a dark jar is best use what you have. Just store your oil in a dark cool place. *Some food items and vitamins come in dark glass bottles such as vinegar's, cooking oils, alcoholic beverages etc.  You can use an empty one of those to hold your oil. Most will have small openings.

Download

Instructions & Labels (pdf)[sdm_download id="19745" fancy="0"]

Instructions

1. Place your cinnamon sticks in a pan and barely cover them with olive oil. The amounts do not have to be exact.  A good estimate is 5 to 10 sticks for every 2 cups oil.
2. Bring the oil to a simmer. (DO NOT BOIL as olive oil is damaged by high heat.) Simmer your sticks for 2 to 3 hours.
3. Place the oil and sticks into a clear glass jar. Cover and let it sit for about 3 weeks in a warm spot or window sill where it will get light, gently turning the jar upside down a couple times every day.  The warmth further helps extract the cinnamon.
4. Place the oil in a dark jar to preserve it. Store the oil in a cool dry place. You can either remove the sticks or keep them in during storage. I remove them once they turn a lighter color. That means all the goodies are extracted.

The oil will last for 1 year. NOTES: This oil is not as strong as essential oils nor as fragrant. But it still has great medicinal properties and can be used as you would regular essential oil. It can also be taken internally.  Test when using on skin as cinnamon is a "hot" spice, but this version is fairly tame. You can also skip the simmering step and just let the sticks soak for three weeks but the heating makes the oil much stronger and more medicinal.

Pour olive oil over cinnamon sticks to cover.

Simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

Pour all into a clear jar and let sit for 3 weeks in a warm spot or window will where it will get light, turning once a day.

This is my oil in a dark jar. This jar had vitamins in it. I removed the store label and added my own (included in the download). It's also a good idea to date your jar.