Garlic Puree

[lottielady]

Hi does anyone know how to puree and store garlic in oil like the barts spices you see in the supermarket, I have some garlic that doesn't look as if it is going to store very well so am thinking of different ways to preserve it.

[bubblewrap]

Have you tried liquidising it with a little olive oil putting (pouring?) it into an ice cube tray & freezing it.?

[flighty1]

I would have suggested crushing it & storing in oil until I read the section on how not to store garlic on this link.I have no idea where they get their info from so can't back it up.

Storing Garlic

[grannymem]

I've also heard warnings about botulism especially if considering making flavoured oils:
"Flavoured Oils Safety
Of the two preserving mediums, vinegars are more effective as the acidity kills of most bacteria and they have a longer shelf life than their oil equivalents. It is necessary to heat some oils, especially with chillies and garlic as they can be prone to botulism spores, to around 180ºC/350ºF before pouring into the jar/bottle. This also has the benefit of speeding up the infusion. Alternatively use dried chillies – it tends to be the moisture in fresh chillies (and garlic) that can cause botulism.

Once opened, to be on the safe side as oils also tend to go rancid relatively quickly once exposed to air, keep them in the fridge and monitor them closely for spoilage. They will need to be used up in about 2 weeks."

How to Make Flavored Oils and Vinegars. Making Flavored Oils at Home seems to be a good place to start.

[grannymem]

Sorry me again!!

I've just read something from the Food Standards Agency which is even more dirctive about ther dangers of botulism
[SIZE="1"]"Is it safe to make my own flavoured oils at home using herbs?
Lots of different types of flavoured oil are available in the shops, containing garlic, peppercorns, chilli and various herbs including rosemary, oregano and bay leaves, and these often have a long shelf life. But it's not a good idea to make flavoured oils at home unless you are going to use them immediately.
This is because plants, including herbs and spices, can carry spores produced by bacteria. Occasionally, they could carry spores of a type of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism. This is a very unpleasant disease, which is rare in the UK, but can be fatal.
Clostridium botulinum multiplies in places without any oxygen, so if there are spores on plants such as herbs and garlic, putting them in oil can create the right conditions for the bacteria to multiply, particularly if the herbs are fresh or wet.
Companies that produce flavoured oils and foods preserved in oil are expected to take Clostridium botulinum into account and formulate their products to make sure that this type of bacteria doesn't multiply.
]Even though recipes for flavoured oils can be found in cookery books, magazines and websites, these might not have considered the risk of botulism. So if you would like to make your own flavoured oil, the safest option is to make a small quantity and use it on the day you have made it. If you have some oil left over, put it in the fridge straight away and use it within a week. Some oils can go cloudy or become solid in the fridge, but if this happens don't be tempted to leave it at room temperature, because this might not be safe.[/SIZE]"[/SIZE] So I guess BE WARNED!!

I've also heard warnings about botulism especially if considering making flavoured oils:
"Flavoured Oils Safety
Of the two preserving mediums, vinegars are more effective as the acidity kills of most bacteria and they have a longer shelf life than their oil equivalents. It is necessary to heat some oils, especially with chillies and garlic as they can be prone to botulism spores, to around 180ºC/350ºF before pouring into the jar/bottle. This also has the benefit of speeding up the infusion. Alternatively use dried chillies – it tends to be the moisture in fresh chillies (and garlic) that can cause botulism.

Once opened, to be on the safe side as oils also tend to go rancid relatively quickly once exposed to air, keep them in the fridge and monitor them closely for spoilage. They will need to be used up in about 2 weeks."

How to Make Flavored Oils and Vinegars. Making Flavored Oils at Home seems to be a good place to start.

[lottielady]

have heeded all warnings about botulism and have now pickled it using the recipe from the River Cottage preserves book it looks and smells delicious. Many thanks for all your help

[smallblueplanet]

Would you type in the pickled garlic recipe please lottielady?

[lottielady]

certainly small blue planet

should make 3 x 225g jars
500g new season garlic bulbs
1tsp fennel seeds
12 peppercorns (any colour)
4-6 bay leaves
200ml cider vinegar
50g sugar (granulated)
pinch saffron ( i didn't use this )
Bring a large pan of water to the boil plunge the garlic in for a mere minute to help loosen the skins. Remove from the water drain and pat dry.

Have ready 3 warm sterilised jars Break the garlic bulbs into individual cloves. Peel each clove (really boring) and pack them in the jars. My cloves were quite small I ended up with one 1lb jar full but it took nearly all the vinegar.
Put the vinegar, sugar and saffron into a pan bring to the boil and boil for a couple of mins. Pour the vinegar over the garlic and seal with vinegar proof lids. Keeps for 1 year.

Recipe suggests use in salads and around roast lamb just had a thought it might be nice sliced on a pizza.

Enjoy

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks LL sounds yummy might give it a go with the new seasons garlic.

[Hilary B]

You can flavour oils with DRIED herbs (or chillies), but the moisture in fresh ones is what may give botulism the opening.

[taff]

will be using the pickled garlic recipe as all the bulbs I carefully hung to dry have been munched apart from the outer cloves.
I'm glad there's some way to preserve whats left, but gutted....