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Botulism is why you cannot make and keep garlic oil, every time you want to use it you must make a fresh batch.
by ermir 5y ago
Botulism is why you cannot make and keep garlic oil, every time you want to use it you must make a fresh batch.
- swiftcoder 5y agoThis is the main danger of homemade mayonnaise as well - it’s not the raw egg that gets you. If you don’t add sufficient acid to the mayo, then your potato salad ends up in a perfect oxygen-free environment for botulism…
- nfin 5y agohow do you know that garlic+oil could produce botulism? I think I haven’t understood what kind of food + low oxygen/low acid + room temperature might create botulism… could you help me understand? I derived that most of those things are animal related, but garlic+oil is not. Thanks!!
- ermir 5y agoThe botulism spores are abundant in soil, but they don't get activated unless the conditions are met. The main condition is an environment without oxygen and the presence of proteins, which happen both in sealed oil-garlic containers.
- sdfghderwg 5y agoI guess I'm having the same struggle as nfin. > The main condition is an environment without oxygen and the presence of proteins, which happen both in sealed oil-garlic containers. This seems such a general condition... in first approximation, sealed containers with anything at home are sealed containers with proteins...
- ermir 5y agoMost factory-made food has preservatives and other stuff that stabilize the food and prevent botulism. In particular many foods use vinegar to increase acidity and make it impossible for botulism to bloom.
- loeg 5y agoIn general, canning oils at home is unsafe (unless you have a pressure canner and take it up to 121C). Canning water-based stuff with high acidity (pH < 4.3 or whatever) is pretty safe, as long as you follow a safe procedure and the seals are intact.