Bottling herb-infused oils too slippery a task
Question: I heard that you can get botulism from olive oil infused with garlic or other herbs. How can I tell if the oil is tainted?
You can t. Garlic- or herb-infused oils that are contaminated with clostridium botulinum, the bacteria responsible for botulism, cannot be identified by smell, sight or taste.
Three conditions encourage the growth of clostridium botulinum, which originates on the garlic rather than in the oil: little or no oxygen (as in the case inside a bottle of oil), low acidity and room temperatures.
There s nothing you can do to get enough oxygen into a bottle of oil, but to make sure your herb-infused oil has enough acidity, look for a commercially prepared product that contains phosphoric or citric acid. Once the bottle is opened, make sure that it is stored in the refrigerator.
Is there a safe way to prepare garlic- or herb-infused oils at home? No. The Food and Drug Administration does not recommend doing this. You can make garlic oil as part of a salad dressing, but make only the amount you need and will use in the same day.
Bob Morris is an associate professor with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. He can be reached at morrisr@unce.unr.edu or 257-5555.