Garlic in oil is just really, really risky if not handled properly. I wouldn't leave it out at room temperature; I would refrigerate immediately. In fact, Extension services recommend that garlic in oil left out two hours should be discarded.

Refrigerated it's good for seven days.

Carol

Wow! I keep a bottle of olive oil in my cabinet that I put a few crushed cloves of garlic in, along with a dried hot pepper. I keep it for months and months!

What can go wrong with it?

If I heat the oil with the garlic/hot pepper and let it "infuse" and strain it, can I keep it then or would it still have to be refrigerated?

Lisa

Lisa -

Check the link below for more information.....

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Garlic In-Oil: Safety and Health Effects

Thanks! For some reason I was under the impression that the store bought stuff was risky, but if you made it yourself, it was ok. I guess not!! I better throw out what I have at home! I've been using it for years like that, but better safe than sorry!

Lisa

My information is that refrigerated oil with garlic in it should be used in 3 days or discarded.

the problem is that garlic stored in oil is a breeding ground for bottulism. The commercially prepared flavored oils have antibacterial ingredients added to make them safer, but the home cook doesn't have access to those.

Much as I love garlic-flavored oil, I won't use it when I eat out, and the bottle is sitting on the table, because I really question the safety (did they make it themselves? Did they add more oil to an 'old' bottle? how long has it been sitting at room temp?)

But to answer the original question, I'd refrigerate the oil until serving time, and if it sits out an hour or 2, I think you'll be fine. Just try not to make so much that you'll be tossing out a lot of it at the end of the event.

Thanks so much for your input.

I only make enough at a time to dress the salad.

I will keep it refrigerated before hand.

I had been straining out the garlic - but I left about a teaspoon of finely crushed garlic in the oil this time. That really added the right amout of garlic on the salad.

Here's the most interesting part of the warning:

"Commercially produced garlic-in-oil products have been linked to two outbreaks of botulism; one in Vancouver in 1985 and the other in New York in 1989."

That seems to make it relatively rare, since it's 20 years since the last report. The garlic must already have the bacteria in order to make it dangerous. However, since most garlic now comes from China, I would be cautious. I would worry less if the garlic is grown close to where you buy it.

Lars

The problem is not all cases of botulism are reported (The reporting protocol is inconsistent and unwieldy.) or botulism is misdiagnosed (as cerebrovascular disease, for example). Statistics of reported cases will yield the lowest possible number.

I would surmise botulism with garlic in oil is rare, partly because a big percentage of the population never consumes or uses infused oils. The last case I know of occurred in Denmark in 2003.

But botulism is certainly nothing to mess with. 65% of those afflicted die.

Foodborne botulism turns up all kinds of places, even in the California prison system in 2004-2005. In that case, it was Pruno (illicit home brew distilled by prisoners).

Carol

Discarded within three days even if refrigerated? This sounds absurd. Is botulism even a risk at such low temperatures? This would seem to imply that garlic in oil is more dangerous than unpreserved garlic-- which doesn't make much sense. Is there a source on this?

Jessica, oil does not necessarily preserve foods like vinegar, preservatives or heat processing does, but it can create a nearly perfect environment for the growth of botulism.

You asked for a source, this is directly from the website of the Food and Drug Administration. It is from 1989, but it's still valid. I think the risk is relatively small, but it's still a risk, everyone has to decide which risks they are comfortable with but everyone needs the correct information to make the decision.

"Chopped Garlic in Oil Mixes

P89-9 Food and Drug Administration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chris Lecos (202) 245-1144

The Food and Drug Administration today warned that consumers may risk potentially fatal botulism food poisoning from some commercial and homemade chopped garlic-and-oil mixes if they are left at room temperature instead of refrigerated. The warning follows an investigation of three hospitalizations in New York after use of such a product.
The labels of non-preserved commercial products call for refrigeration, and FDA emphasized this means refrigeration from manufacturing to consumption. In particular, garlic-and-oil mixes containing little or no
acidifying agent such as phosphoric or citric acid should be kept refrigerated at all times, FDA stressed.
FDA also is notifying producers of the commercial products to review the formulation and labeling of their products. When refrigeration is needed, both shipping cartons and products sold at retail should be clearly and
prominently labeled with such statements as "Requires Refrigeration for Safety" or "Refrigerate Both Before and After Opening," FDA advised.
The New York Department of Health announced Feb. 28 that two men and a woman from Kingston, N.Y., were hospitalized with botulism after a dinner Feb. 19 at the home of one of the victims. A chopped garlic and oil mix had been used in a spread for garlic bread.
Preliminary investigation by the state has implicated a commercially prepared mix, "Colavita Chopped Garlic in Extra Virgin Olive Oil" distributed by Colavita Pasta and Oil Co., Newark, N. J. The firm, which is recalling all
sizes of the product, told New York officials that distribution was discontinued more than a year ago. Although the Kingston outbreak is still being investigated, preliminary reports indicate the product may have beenstored at room temperature, even though the container has a "Keep Refrigerated" statement on its label.
Botulism is a potentially fatal food poisoning characterized by blurred or double vision, speech and breathing difficulty and progressive paralysis. Without prompt and correct treatment, one-third of those diagnosed may die.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria are widespread in the environment and may be found on various produce, including garlic, but their spores are harmless when there is oxygen in the environment. However, the spores can produce a
deadly toxin when in an anaerobic (oxygen free), low acid environment. Recent FDA studies have shown that garlic in an oil mixture can support bacterial growth and toxin production even when very few Clostridium botulinum spores
are present.
Chopped garlic in oil has been implicated in botulism poisoning in the past. For example, in 1985 37 people suffered botulism poisoning after eating a commercial chopped garlic in soybean oil at a Vancouver, British Columbia, restaurant.

Information from the national Center for Home Food Preservation is more recent, and affirms Readinglady's "7 day" recommendation:

Garlic-in-Oil
Research performed by the National Center for Home Food Preservation confirmed that mixtures of garlic in oil stored at room temperature are at risk for the development of botulism.

Garlic-in-oil should be made fresh and stored in the refrigerator at 40F or lower for no more than 7 days. It may be frozen for long term storage for up to several months. Package in glass freezer jars or plastic freezer boxes, leaving ½-inch headspace. Label, date and freeze.

Reference: Harris, Linda J. 2002. University of California subcontract report for the National Center for Home Food Preservation. (8/15/2002).

Carol (Readinglady) is very knowledgeable about home food preservation and safety techniques and requirements, so I always trust what she tells me.

I hope this helps.....

Annie

Iowagirl, can you add the vinegar or lemon juice for the dressing to the oil and garlic before you let it sit out? That should alleviate the problem.

jessicavanderhoff -

This is C. botulinum information from a Food Safety Class I took.... -Grainlady

... C. botulinum is a heat resistant, spore-forming organism that produces a toxin in its vegetative (growing) state, and grows in the absense of oxygen and at pH levels above 4.6. Places of growth include sealed containers or below the surface of food. At above 38°F, the spores become active and produce a toxin. The toxin causes severe illness and even death in humans.

Sources: The bacteria are present in soil and water throughout the environment, but conditions for growth and toxin formation are not always favorable. Optimum conditions for growth of and toxin formation by C. botulinum include high moisture, low salt, low acid (pH greater than 4.6), low oxygen such as in canned or vacuum packed foods, and room temperature stored foods. Illness is most often associated with improper home canning of foods.

Prevention: Prevention begins with consumer awareness. Home canners should follow reliable and current procedures when canning low-acid vegetables, meat, fish and poultry. Avoid consuming food from dented, swollen cans, from jars with leaky or loose lids or from containers that expell liquid when opened. Avoid serving honey or corn syrup to infants. Prompt refrigeration of low-acid foods is necessary. Illness has been reported from food left at room temperature for extended periods of time, especially foods foil wrapped (baked potatoes) or vacuum packed or products like olive oil with garlic cloves.

Thanks for the information. Still, why would garlic packed in oil be more dangerous than other low-oxygen refrigerated foods (which can be safely stored for much longer than three days)?

The site below recommends no more than 10 days-- which, although none of our sources has cited an actual study monitoring bacterial growth in low-acid low-oxygen open containers of preserved food-- seems more logical to me. If, for example, I opened a jar of marinated artichokes and didn't finish them all, I would feel entirely comfortable keeping them in the fridge for that long.

Don't mean to go on the attack here, and there's plenty of good information about botulism is general, but most of them say that it's almost always caused by 'improperly preserved' canning. It doesn't seem like there's really any evidence that foods in oil kept in the fridge should be discarded that quickly.

Hope I haven't made any enemies-- may very well be back begging for canning advice if the garden does well :-)

Actually, many cases of botulism aren't caused by improperly preserved canning at all, only 25% of the estimated 110 cases per year are from improperly preserved food. 72% are infant botulism, usually caused from feed children under the age of 2 honey. Their immature digestive systems cannot handle the bacteria growing in their intestines and they develop the illness. 3% is wound botulism.

The botulism cases from last year (or the year before) regarding Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice was due to improper storage and handling after it left the processing facility. Other cases were caused by foil wrapped baked potatoes which were left sitting on a restaurant counter without refrigeration, and then reheated.

Some cases are caused by home canning, and they tend to come in groups, like a bunch of people in Alaska getting sick from improperly canned fish.

Botulism is found in the soil and in marine sediment, it sits in spore form until it is introduced into an environment where it can grow. Even then the spores and bacteria aren't dangerous themselves, it's the toxin that the bacteria emit when they grow that'll kill you.

So, don't get all bothered, if you want to keep garlic infinitely in the refrigerator or not, it's all up to you. There's a very small possibility you could poison yourself, your family or your guests. It's a pretty small possibility, but it's there.

I know the USDA and NCFHFP always err on the side of extreme caution and I figure I'm safe for a bit beyond what they recommend. Their rules are set up so that a person in the dirtiest kitchen using the worst ingredients and making every possible mistake still couldn't die if they followed the rules. LOL Actually, that's kind of an exaggeration, but they are extremely cautious, probably partially because of liability in today's extremely litigous society.

As I mentioned, everyone gets to decide their own comfort level and decide how to act based on the information they have. Garlic in oil is cheap, simple and fast, so if I've had it more than a few days, I toss it and make some more. If it were, say, truffle oil, I'd have to think a bit more!

Annie

OMG I never knew that. I have been making garlic and oil mixtures for years. I guess I never really kept it out more than 1/2 hr. But a very good post for people who don't know. Now I will be EXTRA CAREFUL when making/using my mixtures. I do though, by my anal nature, throw out anything left over. I don't save anything as I hate eating what some would call....Leftovers, LOL (or my Shep gets it lol). Thank you Annie. Tony