On 1/25/2009 2:19 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:
I used to grow garlic in my garden (and might do it again). I would
separate the cloves and sun dry them on a table on my patio. Then I
would peel them and place them in a jar of olive oil. The oil would
prevent spoilage. When the last clove in the jar was used, I would
then use the oil, which would have a glorious taste of garlic.

Sometimes, garlic preserved in oil can be contaminated with salmonella
or botulism. This can be avoided by soaking the peeled cloves for
about 10 minutes in a mixture of half water and half lemon juice or
vinegar. Acid kills the bacteria responsible for either of those
contaminations.

But does it kill the spores too?

David

I don't know. I never used the acid rinse myself, and I'm still alive.

One other safety measure is that cooking destroys both the bacteria and
their poisons. Of course, this requires actual cooking and not merely
heating. I never eat raw garlic or garlic-flavored oil. I only cook
with them. (Exception: I did make garlic mayonnaise, using both raw
eggs and raw garlic. However, I also used fresh lemon juice (no water).)

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary