Preserving infused oils

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Koral280

Assistant Cook
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
13
Location
Middle of Nowhere, Virginia
I have a ton of garlic from the garlic festival this weekend. I wanted to make some garlic infused oil and give it as Christmas gifts. My problem is the shelf life. Is there a technique or ingredient I can use when infusing the oil that will give it a longer shelf life? I read the thread about how to infuse oils but didn't see anything on preserving it.

Also, can I freeze my garlic cloves? I have WAY too many to use before they start to go over.
 
There is nothing you can do in the home to make garlic infused oil safe beyond 10-14 days. Not cooking, boiling, sealing, sterilizing, refrigerating. Nothing. After two weeks, you are courting disaster with the growth of botulism.

I would store the garlic in a cool dark place such as a cellar. Hang it so air can circulate and it will last a long time.
 
Andy is right. Some experts go so far as to say you shouldn’t keep garlic infused oil after 7 days, and for those 7 days, it should be stored in the fridge.

Commercially prepared garlic oils have microbial inhibitors and acidifying agents added to them, and that is something that isn’t available to the public.
 
I do not know if you can freeze garlic but I do know that you can freeze ramps. They are related. I would think you could.
 
The reason it's unsafe to give garlic oil as a gift is that home cooks aren't able to perform a process that effectively pasteurizes the oil, which is why major manufacturers are able to sell shelf-stable oils.
 
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