Vicki, putting up garlic in olive oil, except for immediate use, is considered unsafe for several reasons. That's why you don't see recipes for it over at the Harvest Forum.

Even the commercial versions have come under fire, because some studies indicate there are health hazards with it.

Sorry.

However, garlic is one of the longest-keeping veggies going. If you grew hardnecks they will keep for 6-9 months if cured and stored properly. Softnecks will keep as much as a year. So it shouldn't be a big deal to just pop a clove or six when you need them.

When I want that sort of pasta sauce, I thinly slice the cloves and mix them with the oil over very low heat. The goal is to infuse the oil with the garlic flavor, rather than cook the garlic. When that incredible aroma rises from the pan I dump everything into the pasta, and that's that. Quick, easy, and delicious.

It would probably be OK frozen but that's it. The problem is that the oil renders it oxygen free which is ideal for botulism.

as garden lad said they do keep along time. If they still have the leaves on them make several nice braids . That will be a great way to keep them or share with family. If some starts to dry out you might consider makeing garlic powder out of the rest. Homemade garlic powder is Awesome!! and will give you fresh flavor all year.

Check out the HARVEST forum., I have posted numerous times the methods used to pickle whole garlic cloves. Been doing it for many years now, and started with 3 pound jars of the peeled stuff from Costco, before growing my own. MIne are pickled in vinegar and salt as a regular cucumber pickle would. The addition of some dill, red hot pepper flakes or oregano are options too. They can very nicly and are safe. Crunchy once pickled and canned. Refrigerated, they are a nice treat and you may find yourslef eating the whole jar!

oh big sigh, I was really looking forward to the O. oil idea. I guess it's easy enough to let them dry out. I guess that answers my question.

I'm growing some pickling cukes so maybe I can throw a few in the brine when the time comes.
Vicki

Vicki, watch that word "dry." It's being used too often to mean something else, and can be misleading.

For storage purposes, what you are doing is curing the garlic. The idea is for the tops to fully dry (so the bulbs absorb their energy), and for the outer wrappers to dry and shrink as tightly as they can to the head. This forms a protective barrior against moisture and disease. The cloves, themselves, are not dried. At least that's not the intent.

The reason we lift garlic when we do---when only 1/2-2/3 of the leaves have started to yellow---is to assure that there are enough of those outer wrappers to form that protective barrior.

Eventually (if they don't sprout first) the cloves themselves will start to dry. Or you can dry them intentionally, like in a dehydrator. It's the dried cloves that you use for making your own garlic powder.

last year I canned my garlic by peeling it and putting it in a solution of 1/2 water 1/2 vinegar, I put it in small canning jars and after putting canning caps and lids on boil bathed each jar for 10 minutes.

Here's a link to some info on flavored oils....

Here is a link that might be useful: Flavored oil and botulism

Interesting write-up, Alchemy. I like the way the author presents all the alternatives---or as many as possible. Lets the reader then make up his/her mind as to what to do.

Personally, I subscribe to the idea that it's foolish to take unnecessary risks. Life, today, has enough risks we can't avoid.

Frinstance, I have friends who each year can green beans using the open kettle method. The woman learned that method from her grandmother. When I mentioned the possible dangers, she replied, "well, in three generations we haven't killed anybody yet."

That may be true. But I won't eat beans at her house, either.

My feeling is that so long as there is an alternative, safe choice for accomplishing a goal there is no reason to use a possibly unsafe method.

Thus, in the case of garlic-infused oil, I'll continue to make it fresh when I need it.

For an oil storage, thay can be made and placed in the refrigerator. OIive oil will harden up though, once its refrigerated. Marinating the garlic, in an oil and vinegar mix with a little oregano is OK, but not as ahome canned item, only as a refrigerated item. The HARVEST forum has many people who will tell you about not using oils in any home canning.

I was reading up on the risks and wanted to know if anyone had experience (or reference) on canning COOKED garlic. We want to give out jars of Bagna Calda (garlic cooked in olive oil) this holiday season. Hot jars are filled with hot garlic goop and then processed for 15 minutes. Anyone?

The botulism organism is killed by cooking/heat.

Has anyone ever canned roasted garlic? I love it and my brother-in-law decided a few weeks ago to smoke some whole heads of garlic coated in olive oil in his mesquite wood smoker (with briskets, sausages and other meats), and it was fantastic. I would like to try to preserve them after roasting or smoking. Does anyone have any tips or advice? What liquid would be used? How long would they last after they were sealed? He also smoked fresh asparagus... is there even a way to preserve asparagus without freezing or pickling? Thanks in advance for tips. This is a great blog. :)

HI,

We started out just putting cloves of garlic (Music) in pint jars filled with olive oil and actually gave it away as Christmas presents for a couple of years. Everyone loved it! However, have since learned about botulism, etc. So don't do that anymore. What we now do is put the cloves in a jar fill with olive oil and refrigerate. That seems to work well, and while it probably doesn't satisfy the food police, Oh well. Also, over time the oil becomes garlic infused and is added to the pasta sauce and then topped off with more oil.

The comments about "risk" stated here are valid, however, wonder what the folks in the Mediterranean would say about it? They've been preserving things "illegally" there since before recorded history. My personal favorite "food police" warning concerns boiled eggs. "They must be immediately refrigerated and if unrefrigerated for more than an hour must be discarded." Anyone remember Easter Egg Hunts? How about visiting a local "fire hall" where a bowl of hard boiled eggs usually sat in the middle of the table if someone got hungry. 'course, "someone" usually put an uncooked egg in there for "grins and giggles." :-)

Ev

new in the "garden"... very interesting site... I just discover it and started reading hours ago... addicting... anyway, my concern is like most here, want to can garlic in oil not flavored garlic, and try our farmer's market, but now, reading all the above and the FDA and other foreign site about Botulism, I have been disappointed, went to my fridge to take away my jars... then... well... I have done that for the past 10 years, for my personal home consumption, and had given birth to many kids in between who enjoy my food... so, what now ? a solution ? give me please any idea... I have some but afraid of poisoning somebody and being sued by sick people or death of some... I love garlic !

You can pickle them in vinegar(5% acidity), nothing else. But you have to wait over two years to ferment. Then it will become brown, soft and sweet. You store it in a shed or garage. Once in a while in the beginning you check it and add more vinegar , if needed. The lid has to be non-metal otherwise will corrode. This is a PERSIAN delicacy. Most people have 5 year old garlic pickle. It is eaten with meal. , occasionally, especially when they have guests. It is liked aged wine or Balsamic vinegar, in tradition. This is something else to do with garlic, other than cooking with.

search: PERSIAN PICKLED GARLIC for recipe

marie13100- You'd be better off doing a search over on the Harvest Forum (it is the forum for storing, preserving, canning, jam making, etc.). You'll find a ton of information about all kinds of different things over there. And if you can't find the answer you're looking for, just ask. The people over there are helpful and they are very much into safety. Plus there's a lot of traffic on that forum so your questions should be answered fairly quickly.

Rodney

Here is a link that might be useful: Harvest Forum