Minced Garlic

Be careful with shelf stable, oil packed minced garlic. There was an outbreak of botulinum poisoning because of it in the past. Garlic comes out of the ground so it has a strong possibility of contamination with botulinum.

Botulinum bacterium will thrive in an airless environment like packed in oil.
 
medtran49 said:
There was an outbreak of botulinum poisoning because of it in the past.
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There was: in 1989 in New York. And in 2003 in Sweden.
Botulism is an extremely rare disease. There are around 110 cases in the USA each year, some of which are caused by "home canning" activities but more than 70% of them affect infants who are breast fed. Given that, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than affected by botulism.
That's not to play down the seriousness of the disease, but the chances of contracting it are very, very remote.
 
karadekoolaid said:
There was: in 1989 in New York. And in 2003 in Sweden.
Botulism is an extremely rare disease. There are around 110 cases in the USA each year, some of which are caused by "home canning" activities but more than 70% of them affect infants who are breast fed. Given that, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than affected by botulism.
That's not to play down the seriousness of the disease, but the chances of contracting it are very, very remote.
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I remember learning as a kid that you should never buy a dented can of food, because it can cause botulism. It's funny now that I still think of that when I see a dented can in the grocery store. :laugh:

CD
 
karadekoolaid said:
There was: in 1989 in New York. And in 2003 in Sweden.
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There have been far more than those 2. The specific outbreak I mentioned affected South Florida as minced garlic packed in oil is a big seller here due to the Latin population. All the commercial brands were pulled from grocery shelves for testing and reviewing of/changing canning processes.
 
I'm curious about oil packed minced garlic. I've never bought it here, but I made some variation of it at home, since I had a lot of garlic that was about to run out and that was a way of keeping the garlic a bit longer so I could use it in stews and stir fries.

The smell of that was absolutely horrible. The strongest, most pungent garlic smell I ever smelled in my life. Even after cooked, the taste was a bit off too. And yes, both times I was absolutely sure that the garlic was still safe for consumption. Still, I gave up and tossed it all in the trash because just opening the jar made me sick.

What does store bought oil packed garlic smell like? And how do you use it?
 
LissaC said:
What does store bought oil packed garlic smell like? And how do you use it?
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I don't. I only buy a couple heads at a time and keep them in the refrigerator to use as needed.

On the rare occasion that I need a lot, like with 40 clove chicken or when we are making andouille sausage, we buy big jars of prepeeled garlic that are in cooled produce cases, and use food processor to chop if needed.

I have not done it but you can freeze garlic. Maybe somebody that has can tell how they do it.
 
medtran49 said:
I don't. I only buy a couple heads at a time and keep them in the refrigerator to use as needed.

On the rare occasion that I need a lot, like with 40 clove chicken or when we are making andouille sausage, we buy big jars of prepeeled garlic that are in cooled produce cases, and use food processor to chop if needed.

I have not done it but you can freeze garlic. Maybe somebody that has can tell how they do it.
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I've heard of freezing garlic too, but the method I know is the same for keeping garlic in the fridge: place the garlic in olive oil, and freeze in individual portions. I was so bummed with the garlic I kept in the fridge I didn't want to try my luck with frozen garlic. Nowadays I just don't buy large amounts of garlic even if buying in bulk is cheaper than buying just one garlic head each time.
 
LissaC said:
I'm curious about oil packed minced garlic. I've never bought it here, but I made some variation of it at home, since I had a lot of garlic that was about to run out and that was a way of keeping the garlic a bit longer so I could use it in stews and stir fries.

The smell of that was absolutely horrible. The strongest, most pungent garlic smell I ever smelled in my life. Even after cooked, the taste was a bit off too. And yes, both times I was absolutely sure that the garlic was still safe for consumption. Still, I gave up and tossed it all in the trash because just opening the jar made me sick.

What does store bought oil packed garlic smell like? And how do you use it?
Click to expand...

It depends on where it comes from. Most jarred mince garlic here comes from China, so it has a relatively weak smell and flavor. I buy Central California garlic, and it has a strong smell and flavor, but it is not unpleasant, at least to me. Of course, giving your garlic a quick sauté takes away bitterness, and brings out the natural sweetness of the garlic.

CD
 
Umm, does the blank post mean you have no thoughts on the subject? :scratchhead: :laugh:

CD
 
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