Peeled too much garlic. How long will it keep in Olive Oil?

1. 89

   Just Ask Susanposted 12 years ago

   Peeled too much garlic. How long will it keep in Olive Oil?

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2. 81

   Hyphenbirdposted 12 years ago

   I would not advise you to put in in olive oil for more than a day, just long enough to flavor the oil. Garlic is a low acid food and can grow bacteria. You can chop it and put it in olive oil then freeze it. It will be mushy and you can dip it out as needed.
   Making garlic vinegar is another option because it will keep for months due to the preservative power of vinegar.

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3. 59

   MickSposted 12 years ago

   Cover with salt for a day to remove most of the water in the cloves, drain then put the cloves in a 50/50 mix of olive oil and vinegar, use for salad dressing, keep a couple of weeks in the fridge

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4. 82

   Joe Machoposted 12 years ago

   I agree with hyphenbird. Leaving garlic in oil is a risky business that potentially could kill you. I wouldn't even leave it in the oil for a day. Botulism can be very quick to develop and it would be a real shame to poison yourself. Garlic oil should really only be consumed fresh. That means sauteing garlic in Olive Oil for 3-5 minutes at medium heat before consumption. It's a real bummer huh?

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5. 88

   Cardisaposted 12 years ago

   The garlic won't keep very long in the oil especially if not roasted. If you toast the garlic it will last longer.
   
   About what Hyphenbird said, the garlic will turn blue in the vinegar but it will last longer. The taste may change though, like pickled garlic.

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6. 79

   mpoche4posted 12 years ago

   I you haven't already put it in the olive oil- it keeps for a while in the fridge. It may start to grow and you can chop that part off.

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7. 60

   Dave Mathewsposted 12 years ago

   I have to disagree with Hyphenbird. You can go to your grocery store and buy garlic infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the bulbs of garlic sit resting at the bottom of the bottle of oil.

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8. 60

   Steve LePoidevinposted 12 years ago

   My neighbor used to keep it in oil for ages but apparently that's a bad idea!   Here's the detailed scoop on the answer to this question, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/fo … l-eng.php.

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9. 59

   Brandon Spauldingposted 12 years ago

   Great Question! I don't know the answer, but I think what you are suggesting makes sense.

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10. 83

    Marcy Goodfleischposted 12 years ago

    Well, this is two days after you posted the question, so I don't know if it's too late or not. Perhaps you can roast the pieces in the oven, wrapped in foil and drizzled with a bit of oil, and then freeze it for use in mashed potatoes or another dish. When you roast an entire globe of garlic, it makes a wonderful creamy goo that you can add to butter, smooth over a roast or chicken, or put in mashed potatoes. I think you can do this even with peeled cloves if you watch it carefully in the oven, then use it later as you wish.

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11. 81

    tigerbaby777posted 12 years ago

    Oh honey!  Don't listen to all the people telling you you will get botulism from garlic resting in olive oil.  People have been doing it for centuries, the beginning of time.  If you refrigerate it your olive oil will become the consistency of butter and it will last a few weeks like that.  If you leave it in a bowl and use it in a few days you will be ok.  I put chopped garlic in olive oil all the time and I'm not dead yet and haven't had any hospital visits because of it.

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