Garlic and Oil?

M

Mj K

New member
Three bloody minutes ago, I'm watching Sun TV, which is a station out
of Toronto, and they're making steamed mussels. The woman chef, an
apparently competent cook said that you can chop up garlic, put it in
oil and put it in the fridge. Should I sue her?
 
On Apr 12, 4:00?pm, "Paul M. Cook" wrote:

I know. I've learned that here and by searching Google. Maybe if the
garlic in oil is used up within a week it might be OK?
 
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:04:24 -0700 (PDT), Portland
wrote:


It starts going bad immediately.

Years and years ago, I bought some pretty bottles (sterilized them),
put peeled garlic cloves on skewers, inserted them into the bottles
and poured in extra virgin oil. The oil started to cloud the
following day. A few days later, it was so cloudy, I knew there was a
problem. That was my first and last attempt at making flavored oil.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
Portland wrote:



Portland,

LOLOL!!!

I bought a small jar of minced garlic packed in oil at the supermarket.
Probably sat there for months or more. I added a small (maybe 1 tsp) to
a dish and maybe not 30 minutes later I broke out in hives. It didn't
hurt but it looked awful.

Andy
 
Re: [email protected]

Paul M. Cook wrote:


Since the bacteria which cause botulism are found in soil, garlic is
different from herbs because it's a root and has layers which facilitate
infestation.

This is a good example for another discussion under way about food safety.
It is not the botulism organism which is so deadly in food-borne botulism,
it is the toxin it secretes as it grows and reproduces in an anaerobic
environment. (To clarify, this is not the case in wound and infantile
botulism where the body hosts the toxin-producing organism). That's why you
can get sick or die from storing it in oil (anaerobic environment) when it
is not heated first, but you won't get sick from eating raw garlic.

OTOH refrigeration inhibits the growth of the organism, and the OP (clipped
upstream) was talking about an example where the garlic in oil was
refrigerated. I don't know whether that mitigates to some extent the danger
of storing garlic in oil in the refrigerator as opposed to on the counter,
but it's clear that if unrefrigerated, it's potentially dangerous.

MartyB
 
sf wrote:

the


My 1957-1959 Gourmet cookbook volumes has a recipe for garlic infused
oil.

It took a peeled clove of garlic and needle and thread through the clove
and then knot it into a loop, like a necklace. Then hang the garlic in
the oil and stop the thread with a cork at the top of the bottle neck to
let it steep for 2 days then holding the thread, unstop the cork and
pull out the garlic clove.

Garlic infused oil! But that was then! What's changed in all
this time? I dunno.

The recipe didn't say to use it within X many days.

Andy
 
Portland wrote:

I think it would be safe for a long time if kept under
refrigeration. It's garlic under oil at room temperature
which is a recipe for botulism.
 
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:40:51 -0700 (PDT), Portland
wrote:


Recipes abound for garlic oil. The woman chef was recklessly remiss
that she didn't say that the oil must be refrigerated and used within
a week. Most of the recipes that I recall are prepared by heating the
garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes until the garlic becomes toasty.
Janet US
 
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:20:25 -0500, Andy wrote:


Commercially prepared garlic oil contains a salt or an acid to help
preserve the oil. There have been several instances of consumers
becoming ill from garlic oil. Commercial preparation is pretty
specific in order to avoid botulism.
Janet US
 
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:04:24 -0700 (PDT), Portland
wrote:


Here in Boston, MA... it can be purchased. as I'm sure most anywhere
else, a nicely minced in a large jar with addatives to preserve, at a
supermarket, which by the way, I keep refridgerated at all times, and
open only to tranfer smaller amounts to a much smaller jar for needed
use usage.
 
Janet Bostwick wrote:

I had a similar reaction to Andy once, which I blame
on a Vietnamese-style hot chili sauce (made in California).
That was the first and only time I bought that sauce.
I always read ingredients, and there couldn't have been
anything listed that seemed like it could be a problem.
I suspect that they chemically sterilized their equipment,
and didn't properly rinse out the cleaning fluid. I believe
formaldehyde can cause this reaction.
 
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:25:25 -0700, "Paul M. Cook"
wrote:


Okay, I didn't know about that. How long should I dry them? TIA

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:13:40 -0500, Andy wrote:

I don't know what has changed. I was really spooked after my one
feeble attempt and haven't had the nerve to try it again. In the mean
time, I've read that you should heat the oil with the garlic in it for
everything to work out.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
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