Garlic puree, toxic or not ?

Minusorange · 3 Jan 2021 at 23:14

So I made up some garlic puree a few weeks ago after watching Ziangs youtube on it, it's just cloves blended into oil, they say it should keep for a few months in the fridge

but then I read this - http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/files/251548.pdf

Take extreme care when preparing flavored oils with fresh garlic or when storing fresh garlic in oil. Peeled garlic cloves may be submerged in oil and stored in the freezer for several months or in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days. Label refrigerated garlic in oil mixtures to show the preparation date (or preferably with a “discard after date” label). Do not store garlic in oil at room temperature. Garlic in oil mixtures stored at room temperature provide an ideal environment for Clostridium botulinum to grow and produce toxin (low acidity, no free oxygen in the oil, and warm temperature). The same hazard exists for roasted garlic stored in oil. At least four outbreaks of botulism associated with garlic in oil mixtures have been reported in North America in the late 1980s and 1990s. Outbreaks in 1991 (California) and 1999 (Florida) were associated with garlic in oil prepared in the home

It's not the only article about this either and obviously there's a huge difference between 4 days & 2 months so what is it ? I don't want to inadvertently give myself botulism and it's easy and cheap enough to throw away and remake but if it's safe to use I'll use it rather than bin it

200sols · 4 Jan 2021 at 07:48

It seems to me you posted evidence that it isn't safe.

Minusorange · 4 Jan 2021 at 12:42

Guess I'll bin it then as it's not worth the risk, seems odd that a well respected cooking channel on youtube would advise keeping it for months though

Tuppy_Glossop · 4 Jan 2021 at 13:32

Same rules as making your own sauces, low pH (high acidity) or pasteurisation (e.g. 72c for 20 seconds, or 135c for 5 secs etc). That is for liquids. If you have suspended solids (garlic) it also needs to be heated through to kill the Botulinus bacteria.

BUDFORCE · 4 Jan 2021 at 17:38

Wow I've made oil with fresh garlic in loads of times, never done me any harm.

That being said it was always cooked.

PlacidCasual · 4 Jan 2021 at 18:39

Botulism is a real risk if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t understand the risks. But that is true of many preserved foods. I’ve made air dried ham and sausage and I was fairly nervous eating my first samples of each. Less so now I understand the science and techniques better.

Begbie · 4 Jan 2021 at 18:40

Sautéing garlic in some olive oil is the tastied way I've made garlic oil. Plus I believe you can store it longer. Eurgh, it's so good.

robj20 · 4 Jan 2021 at 18:41

I make garlic and ginger paste but I freeze it and no oil just enough water to make a paste.

arknor · 5 Jan 2021 at 01:35

I was going to make my own garlic infused olive oil and then I read if you do it wrong it's highly toxic.
erm nope lol

Minusorange · 5 Jan 2021 at 13:29

Begbie said:
Sautéing garlic in some olive oil is the tastied way I've made garlic oil. Plus I believe you can store it longer. Eurgh, it's so good.

Yep most of the articles on toxic garlic puree say that cooking the garlic first makes it safe but I wonder what it does to the flavour ?

Begbie · 5 Jan 2021 at 13:55

Minusorange said:
Yep most of the articles on toxic garlic puree say that cooking the garlic first makes it safe but I wonder what it does to the flavour ?

Makes it delicious. I do it now when making a marinara sauce. Then store the leftover in a jar, yum

Minusorange · 5 Jan 2021 at 14:00

Begbie said:
Makes it delicious. I do it now when making a marinara sauce. Then store the leftover in a jar, yum

So boil it in the oil then blend it to make the paste ?

Begbie · 5 Jan 2021 at 14:10

Minusorange said:
So boil it in the oil then blend it to make the paste ?

I don't boil it, no.

https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/confit-garlic-recipe