Garlic: Tips and Troubleshooting, Selecting, Storing, Recipes, Safety

[k43]

Interesting tidbit on botulinum toxin: it is by far the most poisonous of all known poisons. The rat LD50 for pure botulinum toxin (the unit dose per body weight which kills half the subjects) is 5-50 ng/kg, while that for arsenic is about 700 mg/kg. Since 700mg divided by 50ng equals  14,000,000, botulinum toxin is about 14,000,000 times more potent a poison than aresenic.

←

Maybe 40 years ago there was a Scientific American article on poisons, which, being male, I read with great fascination. I was particularly impressed by a photo of a small, heavily sealed flask containing about a cup of crystals. The caption was "Purified botulinum toxin sufficient to kill about half the world's population."

[chow guy]

Here is an article by Robert Wolke about the subject and it should shed some light on the whole matter.

Elie

←

Thanks for the informative link.

[spoon]

On the subject of storing food in oil: I've had goad cheese rounds marinating in olive oil with minced fresh herbs.  The recipe (Chez Panisse Cafe) says to store them in a cool place for up to a week; they've been in my pantry since Monday and I'm going to roll 'em in bread crumbs and bake them on Thursday.  Am I going to die?

←

goat cheese marinated in oil? If the botulism doesn't get you the arterial sclerosis might.

[BarbaraY]

No, you're not going to die.

I would keep the cheese in the refrigerator rather than the pantry, though. I love goat cheese marinated in olive oil with thyme sprigs as a salad addition.

[sanrensho]

What about sun-dried tomatos that I bought and immersed in olive oil? I've had a container sitting out for a couple of months now, occasionally using the oil for other things. No ill effects so far.

Are there any risks with this?

[andiesenji]

Interesting tidbit on botulinum toxin: it is by far the most poisonous of all known poisons. The rat LD50 for pure botulinum toxin (the unit dose per body weight which kills half the subjects) is 5-50 ng/kg, while that for arsenic is about 700 mg/kg. Since 700mg divided by 50ng equals  14,000,000, botulinum toxin is about 14,000,000 times more potent a poison than aresenic.

←

Maybe 40 years ago there was a Scientific American article on poisons, which, being male, I read with great fascination. I was particularly impressed by a photo of a small, heavily sealed flask containing about a cup of crystals. The caption was "Purified botulinum toxin sufficient to kill about half the world's population."

←

I remember that article! I subscribed to SA for about 40 years beginning in the early 60s.

I don't recall it was as much as a cup of BT - a couple of grams should do the job quite efficiently.

It also went into great detail about the effects of mushroom poisons, castor beans (ricin)

and those pretty little golden tree frogs in the Amazon. I think a photo of that tree frog was on the cover.

I do recall an incident several years ago, where several people became sick from canned potato soup and there was a national recall of the product. It was one of the unusual brands that is quite expensive, however I can't recall the name at the moment.

[k43]

I do recall an incident several years ago, where several people became sick from canned potato soup  and there was a national recall of the product.  It was one of the unusual brands that is quite expensive, however I can't recall the name at the moment.

It was Bon Vivant vichyssoise, and several people died of botulism. The company quickly went out of business.

Kapchunka, a/k/a Ribyetz (whole, uneviscerated salted whitefish) was one of the great East-European Jewish delicacies. Russ & Daughters still lists it along the old painted boards above the shelves. However, in 1987, a couple died from botulism in Kapchunka, and suddenly it was outlawed. See this page from the Centers for Disease Control

Before we get too far off topic, there's a good thread on The Sickest a Meal Has Made You, where I just told my mushroom story.

Edited October 14, 2005 by k43 (log)

[Waterzoy]

I have what I think is fresh garlic. The outer skin is not dry. The stem is green-ish and I can feel the cloves are quite tightly bound in the bulb. It smells quite strong.

Would you use this fresh garlic the same way as you would use the type of garlic I can usually get which has a dry, papery skin and cloves that separate easily? Does it taste stronger than the usual stuff?

Is there anything in particular I should make that fresh garlic would be really well suited to?

Thanks.

[DTBarton]

I've gotten fresh garlic at farmer's markets before and found it to be pretty similar to the stuff from the grocery store that has dried somewhat.

More pungent if used raw, mellows out as you cook it.

[MarkIsCooking]

Fresh garlic, onion and mushrooms all sauteed - one of my favorites for sure. I cook out all the liquid from the mushrooms, allow them to brown on the pan, degalze with sherry or white wine and finish with some freshly chopped rosemary. Yum!

[SheenaGreena]

in korea we eat them in dwaeng jang chigae (basically miso soup-stew) and they are good as a kimchi. My mother grows them in her garden and they make a nice addition to a lot of korean dishes

[djyee100]

Would you use this fresh garlic the same way as you would use the type of garlic I can usually get ...Does it taste stronger than the usual stuff?

My CSA delivers fresh garlic or green garlic to us every spring, and they say that you can use fresh garlic like dried garlic. I find green garlic just about as strong as dried garlic, but fresh garlic has a wonderful herbaceous flavor to it.

A few years ago I sent this recipe to my CSA's newsletter, and it turned out to be a hit with people. The recipe is adapted from A Culinary Journey in Gascony by Kate Hill, which is a fun book to read and cook from. That one mint leaf in the recipe makes a difference in flavor, BTW.

VETOU'S ASPARAGUS

Adapted recipe from A Culinary Journey in Gascony by Kate Hill.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 oz bacon, pancetta, or ham, chopped

1 bunch fresh spring onions, bulbs only, trimmed and cut lengthwise into halves or quarters

1 bunch green garlic, tender lower portions of stalks only, trimmed and cut lengthwise into halves, then cut into 3-inch pieces

1 bunch asparagus, peeled or trimmed, then cut into 3-inch pieces

1 fresh mint leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon butter

lemon wedges

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon, pancetta, or ham, and cook briefly until soft. Add the onions and green garlic pieces, sauteing gently until half cooked. Do not allow the onions and garlic to brown much. Add the asparagus, mint leaf, thyme, salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of water.

Cover the pan and cook slowly over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Check occasionally, and if necessary add a little water to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Uncover the pan, add the wine, and continue to cook until the asparagus is tender when pierced with a fork. Taste for salt and pepper.

Remove the vegetables to a warm serving platter. Turn the heat up to high and reduce the liquid left in the pan to 2 or 3 tablespoons, then add the butter. Swirl the butter in the pan until it melts. Pour the sauce over the vegetables. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

[deltadoc]

Last summer, a co-worker gave me some really fresh garlic from their garden. It was almost translucent, and was the best garlic I ever had.

I use it in Caesar Salad dressing, or rub it on French baquettes sliced crosswise or lengthwise, add butter, and then heat under a broiler.

I also make a wonderful Triple garlic pate. I mix squished fresh garlic with squished fried garlic and mix in with cream cheese. Then I top each baquette that I spread this on with some wine-braised fresh garlic.

Yum!

doc

[pangloss]

We in San Francisco look forward to green garlic every year; it is a harbinger of spring and cooks use it with fava beans, baby artichokes, peas, a classic combination in Italy every year, with variations from Sicily to Venice. Marcella Hazan has a number of this springtime dish although she does not seem to mention green garlic in her books.

I am just now cooking in the over about 20 baby artichokes with a sauce of green garlic, Meyer lemon juice, olive oil and tarragon (or thyme). The earliest green garlic is very subtle and one has to use a lot of it in most dishes even for a subtle taste. At this stage I like it raw or lightly sauteed with veggies.

It is now strong and much of the crop is being cured for year-round users.

[WiscoNole]

Uh...everything.

[Shel_B]

Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers is the title of a 1980 film by Les Blank. And Les was right - garlic is good and good for you.

However, being of little creativity and imagination, I don't know of many ways to prepare garlic, and I'd ike to start eating more of it. I only know about frying, sauteing, and roasting garlic, and I have enjoyed several versions of garlic soup. What other preparation techniques might there be? I'd also love some recipes in which garlic is the star attraction, perhaps more than just a flavoring or seasoning ingredient. Any ideas?

shel

[Chris Hennes]

Well, it's just an ingredient, but it's pretty assertive in Ruhlman's garlic sausage recipe (which is great). I had garlic ice cream at a place in Duluth, MN once. It was... nasty. So, um, stay away from that one...

[Mallet]

confit garlic is a pretty darn useful thing to have around.

[C. sapidus]

I'd also love some recipes in which garlic is the star attraction, perhaps more than just a flavoring or seasoning ingredient. Any ideas?

shel

←

If you like Mexican flavors, try shrimp (fish, zucchini, etc.) with garlic and lime - see camarones al mojo de ajo. If you like Thai food, there are tons of garlic-laden dishes such as stir-fried chicken with holy basil - see gai pad grapao. If Korean food appeals to you, perhaps Doddie or Peter Green could chime in with some ultra-garlicky recommendations.

We routinely go through two or three garlic cloves when cooking a Mexican or Asian dinner.

Edit: not cloves, heads of garlic. Two or three cloves is what falls on the floor, unnoticed except by the dogs.

Edited February 19, 2008 by C. sapidus (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

smash fresh garlic in a mortar and pestal add some good olive oil to taste and dip fried plantains ..chicken wings and or french fries in it

Edited February 19, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[ludja]

I've made garlic flan as an accompaniment to roast meat (eg. roasted lamb).

[Lilija]

My favorite wintry "lots o garlic" recipe is a chuck steak braised for a few hours, with a can or two of crushed tomatoes, hot pepper flakes, a few branches of rosemary laid across the top, and a bulb of garlic broken apart, with the papery outer stuff removed, and scattered over everything.

At the end, the garlic and rosemary perfume the tomatoes and beef, and the garlic tastes good squished out onto toasted bread, or onto the beef. I like the sauce tossed with chunky pasta, or gnocchi, with the beef sliced on the side.

[phatj]

I like to make very garlicky pesto, but that much raw garlic isn't for everyone.

[Domestic Goddess]

There's a great side dish that is made with boiled eggplants, peeled and then mixed with lotsa minced garlic, some vinegar, salt and pepper. All of this is mixed up and served alongside fried fish or boiled beef soup. Check out my blog and you'll see how it is made.

[TongoRad]

Something that has always been and will always be one of my top 10 favorite dishes is just up your alley- linguine (or spaghetti) aglio e olio (with garlic and oil). Some consider the anchovies and red pepper flakes optional, but to me they're essential (along with lots and lots of garlic). Nothing could be better.

I also use lots of garlic when I saute or pan roast vegetables. Sometimes sliced, sometimes whole cloves, depending on the end result I want, but it is definitely meant to be eaten along with the vegetable.