Preserved seafood disaster. What happened?

[benjamin163]

I recently made a mixed seafood in oil dish.

I followed the recipe very closely except for one point.

The recipe required me to heat oil up to 60 degrees C before pouring it into the kilner jar filled with the seafood.

I guessed this temperature because my thermometer wasn't working.

Unfortunately when I went to check on the kilner jars after a month, the stench was disgusting.

I'm wondering if it was the non precise measuring of the temperature of the oil that did for it and what the science behind this is. 

I would say the oil I heated was definitely hotter than 60 but I thought hotter was better as my understanding is that the heated oil is there to create a vacuum in the kilner jar once cooled.

I also noted that a couple of prawns had protruded the surface of the oil and wondered if this was the problem, although all the shellfish was boiled in vinegar beforehand and I was strict on sterilization.

Any thoughts on this are gratefully received. I was gutted to have to throw it all away as I made loads and I spent a big wedge on the ingredients.

Also, any tips on making sure none of the ingredients protrude from the surface of the oil would be most welcomed.

Thank you.

[blue_dolphin]

Was this recipe from a reliable source in food preservation methods?  
Sounds to me that you might have dodged a bullet, albeit expensively, if the method wasn’t assured to eliminate risks of botulism. 
Canning Seafood. 
 

[AlaMoi]

60'C = 140'F is not sufficient to eliminate almost all bacteria.

I would not use that method.

[gfweb]

Can we see the recipe?

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

I have my thoughts on this but I'll hold off until the recipe is posted.

 

[benjamin163]

Thank you for your thoughts.

Here is the recipe I used...

Boil up the following for the stock...

250ml white wine

250ml water

250ml white wine vinegar

assorted dried spices

Simmer seafood (mussels, clams, squid, baby octopus, prawns) in the stock for 15 mins.

Transfer the seafood to sterilized jars, well drained.

Add oil heated to 60 degrees to the jars, covering the seafood and secure the jars.

The recipe comes from a book called Preserving by Oded Schwartz. 

I must say I find the techniques throughout the book a little random and not fully explained. 

However this is the recipe published and what I used.

I guess the only difference is I doubled the vinegar stock because I used far more seafood. Maybe I didn't use enough stock. Could that be an issue?

I have taken a pic of the recipe and attached also.

All thoughts gratefully received.

 

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

An interesting recipe however this sort of preparation requires pressure canning which is not part of the recipe.

If I was doing this, following the recipe, I would refrigerate, then eat within a week.

Just my $0.02.

 

[blue_dolphin]

I agree with @Senior Sea Kayaker on all counts. 
Standard guidance for preserving fish and seafood requires pressure canning, even when starting with cooked items. 

I think you could get a similar result by following this recipe, then heating the sealed jars in a sous vide set-up, storing in the fridge and consuming within a week or two. 
I used 90 min  @  45°C (113°F) for 250 ml jars of tuna confit*. The fish was first brined, then packed in oil with seasonings and ended up nicely flavored from the herbs and spices in the oil so I think something shorter/hotter like that might be a good substitute for that 4-6 week aging time in that recipe. 
 

* Just edited the time & temp. I got those values from a ChefSteps recipe. Modernist Cuisine at Home uses an hour @ 50°C in 500 ml jars. 
I used a recipe for tuna confit from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook where she does the heating process on the stovetop over very low heat and adapted it for sous vide. You could go the stovetop route as well, though I’d advise the use of a functional thermometer. 

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by blue_dolphin (log)

[blue_dolphin]

One more comment for @benjamin163, if you want more input on that recipe and the spoilage you encountered and you happen to be on Facebook, there's a group called We Might Be Crazy But We Aren't Stupid Canning And Preserving with folks that are very knowledgeable about the science behind the recipes.  Post the recipe photo in their group, along with your modifications and ask for their input.  A lot of them are preppers so they preserve anything and everything!

 

[benjamin163]

On 10/29/2023 at 3:21 PM, blue_dolphin said:

One more comment for @benjamin163, if you want more input on that recipe and the spoilage you encountered and you happen to be on Facebook, there's a group called We Might Be Crazy But We Aren't Stupid Canning And Preserving with folks that are very knowledgeable about the science behind the recipes.  Post the recipe photo in their group, along with your modifications and ask for their input.  A lot of them are preppers so they preserve anything and everything!

 

Such great advice thank you for taking the time, I shall get onto facebook for sure.