By Katy G. Wilkens, MS, RD

Holiday shopping doesn’t have to mean fighting crowds at the mall. You can make some great, healthy gifts from ingredients you probably have at home, or which might take one quick trip to your nearest grocery store.

Infusions – a way to extract flavors from herbs, spices or fruits and release them into liquids such as oils, vinegars or honey – create big, bold flavors that help you overcome salt cravings. They also make great gifts for people who are watching their salt intake, and that should include everyone, including you.

To bottle up these beautiful and tasty treats, start saving your old salad dressing bottles, jam jars and wine bottles. A trip to the thrift store can also net you some beautiful vinegar carafes or oil dispensers. Grocery stores also carry inexpensive vinegar and oil dispensers in their plastic and cookware sections.

Infused Oils
To make your own flavored oil, start with a 5-liter jug of olive oil. Get the cheapest type you can find - the flavors you will infuse mean you don’t need to waste money on extra virgin oils.

Infused Olive Oil
1 quart olive oil
1 bunch basil, rosemary, or your favorite herb
1 package dried tomatoes (optional)
2 cloves garlic (optional)
Lemon peel or orange peel (optional)

Whir basil in food processor, or coarsely shop with knife. If using rosemary, coarsely chop. Add to oil in heavy large saucepan along with herbs, garlic and/or tomatoes. Watch oil continuously and use a food safe thermometer to monitor the temperature.

Heat oil on medium heat to about 165 degrees. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, this is when small bubbles appear, but the oil is not boiling. It is important the oil be heated past about 120 degrees to kill any botulism spores which may be on the foods you are adding to the oil.

Set aside for an hour or until cooled to room temperature. Strain through cheesecloth or jelly bag. Pour into pretty bottles. Store in refrigerator if not immediately using. The oil will set, but will re-liquefy after time at room temperature.

Infused Vinegars
These can add that tart, springy zest to your winter salads, and make great meat marinades. Or try them sprinkled over oven-roasted vegetables. Substitute any combination of your favorite berries or fruits and fresh or dried herbs for the ones below

Cranberry Orange Vinegar
1 bag cranberries
1 gallon white vinegar
Grated rind of one orange
Several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 ½ cups sugar

Pour cranberries into saucepan. Add two to four cups of vinegar, the sugar and the orange peel. Cook on medium heat, about 10-15 minutes, until skin on berries begins to split. Pour back into gallon container (it won’t all fit, so put the rest in another bottle or bowl). Let sit two to four days. Strain out berries and put into pretty bottles. Add sprigs of fresh thyme to bottles, tie with a ribbon.

Alcohol
Like the olive oils, you can use the cheap stuff when infusing alcohol, since you are adding pungent flavors. Try soaking one or two whole vanilla beans in a quart of vodka. When soft, remove it, scrape the pod, and add the seeds and pod back into the vodka bottle. Let stand a week or two, then strain through a coffee filter and put in a pretty bottle.

Raspberry Almond Vodka or Brandy
1 quart vodka or brandy
2-4 cups raspberries
½ cup sugar (adjust to sweetness of berries)
2 tablespoons whole almonds

Mash berries with sugar. Pour the alcohol over them and add the nuts. Put into a wide-mouthed jar and put the lid on. Turn or shake the jar daily for the first month. Then strain the liquor, filtering it through paper coffee filters until it is clear. Save the fruit to serve over ice cream. Store in dark place in corked bottle.

Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. She has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington.