[Weston grower]

I've been preserving garlic as per Vals method. Some I did with hot oil which is ok. Some I did with cold oil - I understand the issues with this. The cold oil version - I peeled the cloves and covered them with oil - 2 with olive oil and one with rapeseed oil - put tops on an put away. 2 weeks on all 3 have started to produce gas bubbles - looks as though they are fermenting. The jar tops domed up and there was a loud fizz when I released the top.

What do I do now. Don't really want to lose it!!

Regards WG 

[tosca100]

Yikes that's not right. You can get botulism from improperly bottled garlic so I wouldn't risk it. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon but it doesn't sound hopeful.

[Weston grower]

Boutulism occurs naturally in soil. Do I give up the allotment?  (said with a smile)

[mumofstig]

You don't eat soil - well hopefully you don't!

I certainly wouldn't eat it if it's started fermenting 

[Weston grower]

No, but all my veg grow in it and take in what they need from it? (even bigger smile)

It had only just started to look like it was fermenting. Still solid cloves.

why isnt anything ever simple - like me!!

[PAULW]

should you salt the garlic to draw out excess moisture before putting in the oil

[Kate and her Ducks]

Boutulism occurs naturally in soil. Do I give up the allotment?  (said with a smile)

No but Clostridium Botuli is an anaerobic spore forming bacteria and when bottled in an airless environment even when heated the spores survive and can produce a fatal neurotoxin. That doesn't happen when the garlic is hung up in the air.

Throw it out. It is not worth it. In future if the garlic is preserved in low pH (less than 3.6 I think off the top of my head) it is fine as C. Botuli does not survive low pH. Doesn't necessarily stop all fermentation but prevents the stuff that can kill you! I pickle my garlic which is lovely. You can even ferment it via lactobacilli as with sauerkraut not that I have ever tried that. Both lower the pH and make it safe.

should you salt the garlic to draw out excess moisture before putting in the oil

No, this will not prevent botulism.

[Trillium]

I've soaked mine in cider vinegar for about 4 weeks and now it's time to pour off half the vinegar and replace the half with warmed honey, mix the two and leave for another 3 weeks. Can't wait to try it.

Here's how Martha Stewart recommends doing garlic in oil: Smash and peel cloves of garlic. Transfer to a medium pot, add olive oil, and heat over medium-low until bubbles form around garlic, 3 minutes. Let cook 10 minutes, reducing heat to low if garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, 45 minutes.

This will keep in a lidded jar in the fridge for one week thereabouts.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I've soaked mine in cider vinegar for about 4 weeks and now it's time to pour off half the vinegar and replace the half with warmed honey, mix the two and leave for another 3 weeks. Can't wait to try it.

That sounds amazing!

Will have to try some like that. There is a reason I have planted twice as much garlic this year!

[Trillium]

The recipe for that pickled garlic is HERE.

[Val H]

I really don't think it is botulism as that would not cause the fermenting. More likely a wild yeast that the hot oil cured but the cold oil didn't. Having said that I think you do need to get rid of the fermenting garlic.

[Weston grower]

Thanks for that Val - the voice of reason.

Just out of interest I looked into the occurrence of Botulism in England and Wales. According to the NHS between 1980 and 2010, ie 30 years, there were 33 people diagnosed with botulism. Of these 26 were caused by 1 event.

Have put my tin helmet on and am sitting in our Anderson shelter awaiting the onslaught.

[New shoot]

I also use Val's hot oil preservation method for garlic.  I keep the jar in the fridge once opened and the contents stay good for months.  The oil you are left with is great for cooking with as well 

Having said that, I would chuck the cold oil one.  Fizzy garlic just isn't right 

[Kate and her Ducks]

Of course botulism is rare, but then again so is home canning in the UK.  Neonatal botulism is rare too yet every commercial jar of honey has a warning not to feed to infants under 12 months. It's about knowing what the risks are and making a choice about whether to take them.

If you do decide to try the fizzy garlic let us know how it is I have been thinking of deliberately fermenting some in the way sauerkraut is made as that is also meant to be lovely (maybe not so much while still bubbling ) but will have to see if I have enough after trying Trill's garlic in cider vinegar and honey recipe.

[John]

Of course botulism is rare, but then again so is home canning in the UK.  Neonatal botulism is rare too yet every commercial jar of honey has a warning not to feed to infants under 12 months. It's about knowing what the risks are and making a choice about whether to take them.

We use cold oil at home but due to cowardice about litigation recommend hot oil methods. We found, when researching for our home preserving book, that food safety experts and scientists all agreed there was no appreciable risk of botulism in the cold oil method and they would not be concerned eating garlic stored that way.

However, not one would go on the record. The reason is simple, the risk may be vanishingly small but you never know and don't want to be blamed. No scientist will say zero risk if it is at all possible.

We also recommend all home food processing should be carried out within an Anderson  shelter whilst wearing a tin hat due to the extreme risk of meteor strike

Home canning may not be as popular here as in N America but it was popular from WW2 up to the late 50s and is enjoying a resurgence. Don't forget the term canning is applied to bottling in the US.

The reason so many mention botulism is the wonderful internet wisdom. An article repeated often enough becomes the accepted truth regardless. There is, to the best of my knowledge, just one case related to cold oil storing of garlic and that was in the 1960s in Canada.

I made a mistake myself (I know, shocking and you can hardly credit it) regarding the vitamin content of Brussels Sprouts. This was picked up by a seed supplier who repeated it. Falsehood was well on route to becoming accepted truth. Not so much 'wisdom of crowds' as 'idiocy of the mob'

Not that I'm immune to 'net panic' - I went to the doctor the other week terminally ill with skin cancer having self-diagnosed with the aid of Google. Left the doctor with an appointment to have a wart removed