Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Garlic in Olive Oil Safety


Vision

Recommended Posts

And a hundred years ago, it was very common cause of death, like lead poisoning, or typhus. Massive public health awareness campaigns, food safety legislation, improved home refrigeration & sanitation, and a decline in homemade/homecanned food consumption have brought a dramatic decrease in deaths. Vigilance brought results. Just because most living Americans have never seen a person die from botulism doesn't mean we should stop taking precautions against it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ruhlman is wrong about food safety. He essentially denies that bacteria will grow in warm food, or long term in the fridge. And yet he lives, because the low probability problem hasn't come up.  Yet.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moisture, a lack of oxygen, garlic, plus extra cheese as a food source (little nasties generally thrive on protein) does seem like a recipe for trouble. I like to make pesto and use it up on the first day because I get creeped out by old basil bits. I will freeze leftovers to use in sauces. I think you're on target here, a week in the fridge should be ok, I would worry about any longer than that -unless you add an acid like lemon juice.

 

Honestly, basil is a delicate herb. Four weeks seems like a long time for it after it's chopped -to me. I'd be worried about the basil's deterioration in addition to the growth of botulism.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And a hundred years ago, it was very common cause of death, like lead poisoning, or typhus. Massive public health awareness campaigns, food safety legislation, improved home refrigeration & sanitation, and a decline in homemade/homecanned food consumption have brought a dramatic decrease in deaths. Vigilance brought results. Just because most living Americans have never seen a person die from botulism doesn't mean we should stop taking precautions against it.

Exactly!  This happened just this year in Ohio.  When I was a child in western Kentucky, an entire family became sick and some died, from eating home-canned corn.  

It was fairly common back then, the Farm Bureau put out bulletins about canning safety every year when canning season came around.  And the traveling vendors - The Jewel Tea man - or the Watkins man - would also have cards they gave away with advice about safety in canning.

  • Like 3

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Not sure what else to do about this. The publisher went ahead and published the book as is. I've published a review on Amazon with my concerns but that's certainly not going to do much. 

 

Completely irresponsible on the publishers part.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's really disappointing, BadRabbit.  It's one thing to be aware of the risks and decide to accept them and go forward with a risky method, as many have chosen to do,  but this really misses the opportunity to allow readers to make an educated choice.  A pity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...