# Storing minced garlic/ginger



## jamesg2

So...I just got a small handy food processor for Christmas & now I'm mincing away!   I'd like to mince a bunch of garlic & ginger and store it for later use so I can always have it on hand.  How should I store it and how long will it last?

Thanks,
James


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## buckytom

i'm not sure how long they will last, but they should be stored covered in oil, like evoo, in an airtight, non-reactive container like a glass jar, in the fridge.
i'm not a fan of pre-chopped garlic, i think it loses something over time. but ginger is strong, so pre-chopping is probably ok.


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## marmalady

Pleeeeease - don't store them in oil for more than 2-3 days; the risks of botulism are too great.  You can store them covered with white wine or vermouth, and they'll keep for a couple of weeks.


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## buckytom

can botulism thrive at 40 degrees?


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## marmalady

Yes!

Look here - http://www.discusscooking.com/viewt...s=0&postorder=asc&highlight=botulism&start=10 - 

for another discussion of storing foods in oil or vinegar.


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## jennyema

Dont use oil as a storage medium for fresh garlic or ginger.  You can grow botulism, like marmalady says.  Botulism is slowed by cold but not killed (not even by freezing).   And it's a nasty, nasty thing.

Only keep garlic/ginger/peppers/herbs in oil for a week or so in the fridge.  Then throw away.

You need to store them in something acid.  You can acidify oil or water but you ned to look up the right amount of acid to use.  

You can freeze them. 

Ginger keeps really well in a jar of sherry.  And you can use the ginger-infused sherry, too.

It may be best to chop as needed rather than pre-chop and store.


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## Lifter

An interesting point...

I buy chopped or pureed garlic at the grocery store...looking at the jar, its in soybean oil with ciric acid and a stabiliser...while I agree with Bucky in that it is nowhere near as "sharp" as fresh chopped garlic, it cooks out well...and this requires it be kept in the fridge after opening...this was probably "cooked" to one extent or another before being sealed, is this what is saving our buying public from botulism?

Why can't you do this yourself?

Have met others, and myself have peeled garlic and stored in olive oil (the storage time was roughly a month, either used it up, or the garlic got too soft)....mind, I was cooking the stuff, and "fondly believe" that heating like this would have killed off a lot of things that might not have been too good, had they been consumed "raw"...

Could Marmalady and Jennyma, and others, carry on with this thread, and point out what the dividing line between "safe" and "unsafe" might be?

With Thanks!

(And this might expand the "education pool" here, and save some people a very tough time, so it would be well worth the effort of anyone that's got quantified data to share)

Lifter


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## marmalady

Good points, Lifter - 

First, yes, the preminced garlic you buy has been probably heat processed (just as we would do for home canning), so it's safe to use.  The same would go for the 'gourmet' infused oils that have garlic/herbs/veg in them on the grocery shelf.  

As for those of us (me included, I confess!) who have stored garlic and other items in oil, and haven't come down with botulism, I can only say that storing in this fashion makes the 'conditions' right for the development of botulism.  Not that every clove of garlic has the botulism spore in it that's just waiting for improper storage to bloom!

I relate it to the 'raw egg' controversy; not every egg contains salmonella; when eating raw egss, you are increasing the 'risk' of developing it, but just because you had  a raw egg in your salad dressing doesn't mean you're going to come down with it.

Same with colds, flu, etc - the germs and viruses are there all the time - only when conditions are right do we come down with it.

But - adhering to the information given out by food scientists, we are decreasing greatly the -chances - of developing food poisoning.

Hope that made some kind of sense!


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## jennyema

Lifter,

You said that the pre-chopped garlic contains citric acid.  That's the reason it's safe.  It's been properly acidified. Commercially prepared garlic in oil is considered safe but home-prepared and the kinds you buy at craft fairs, etc. are suspect.


What you did with garlic in oil is unsafe but you were lucky.  As marmalady points out, it's a roll of the dice like with raw eggs and such.  Difference being that salmonella will make you sick but probably won't kill you.  Botulism will kill or severely disable you and it's a really terrible way to go.  That's why terrorists use it.

The only way to safely infuse or store fresh ingredients in oil for longer than a week or so is to either properly acidify it or boil the stuff for a length of time determined by your altitude.  Boiling the oil is pretty impractical to do at home, but you can add acid. like vinegar or citric acid.   BUT you need to do your reasearch and make sure you use a quantity of acid that is sufficient to inhibit the growth of the toxins.  If you don't do it properly you could still allow botulism.


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## jkath

WOW you guys! I feel like I should receive college credit for reading this discussion. I really have learned a lot - thanks!

jamesg2: Since a new chopper really is a fun toy, check out my salsa recipe I just posted under the sauces & marinades forum.


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## htc

Can you just chop up the garlic and store as is? Wouldn't botulism not be an issue then?  Just curious.  I see lots of people do this with their garlic.  I think you loose some of the flavor, but it sure seems convienent.


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## jennyema

htc said:
			
		

> Can you just chop up the garlic and store as is? Wouldn't botulism not be an issue then?  Just curious.  I see lots of people do this with their garlic.  I think you loose some of the flavor, but it sure seems convienent.



Yes.  The oil is the culprit.  It creates an anaerobic (airless) environment that is perfect for botulism.

If you chop and store in fridge, it'll dry out.  If you freeze it it'll last a bit longer


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## kitchenelf

I store my sliced, peeled ginger in dry sherry - will keep for months and months unrefrigerated.

Chopped garlic should just be used as needed.


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## htc

jennyema, then why is it ok to eat sun dried tomato packed in oil? Wouldn't the same thing happen?  Or is it just the interaction with garlic?


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## kitchenelf

it's the interaction with the garlic - There's lots of info out there - go to google and type in

garlic, botulism


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## buckytom

even with all of the warnings and info, i know several people that store chopped garlic in oil in the fridge (without preservatives) for a few weeks at a time, and suffered no ill effects.


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## marmalady

Bucky, you're right - but it is a 'roll of the dice', just as only 1 in - I think - 30,000 eggs has salmonella bacteria; but I sure don't want to be that one!


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## jennyema

Any commercially prepared fresh product in oil will probably* have been acidified or prepared by boiling or pressure to eliminate the risk of botulism.

The higher the acid content in a fresh product stored in oil, the lower the risk of botulism.  Tomatoes are naturally acidic, whereas garlic and peppers and basil, for example, are not.  That's why you see most of the attention drawn to garlic.  Also, botulism spores come from soil, so things grown in the ground (eg, garlic) are more likely sources.

Bucky -- there are lots of people who do this, sure.  But they are taking a big chance.  The fact is that they are risking botulism poisoning by doing it.  Like M has said, it's a roll of the dice and chances are they won't get sick, but since Botulism is so incredibly hideous and so super easy to avoid ... IMO: why take the chance?  



* There have been cases of botulism with improperly prepared commercial products -- Vichyssoise comes to mind -- but they are very rare.  Almost all incidents of botulism poisoning come from home prep or restaurants.


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## Lifter

This thread is cause for some very serious thought...and I'd like to thank Jennyma for bringing this up for our information and edification...the things you don't know, that can kill ya, too!

Would love to see more of this!

Lifter


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## buckytom

yes, thanks jennyema, and everyone for their contributions. i never pre-chop and store garlic anyway. i mean, it's not very hard to pluck a coupla cloves, smash, skin and chop them. probably would take me the same or less time than trying to find a jar in the fridge.


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## Lifter

Bucky, the "loss" here was that I no longer get that garlic infused EVOO so easily and cheaply...of course 9 times out of 10, garlic being soaked in EVOO did "no damage" to a recipe either...

But it "creeps me out" how close to the "flames" I have "danced", in my happy ignorance...those "eaters" were all "friends" and "family"...nothing exists of higher value...

Lifter


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## jamesg2

Thank you all SO MUCH for all this info.  I had no idea this would spark such a thread!

Thanks again for all your help!


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## marmalady

You're most welcome, James!  So - tell us what your conclusions are!


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## Audeo

My personal conclusion on this thread is that there are many highly knowledgeable and helpful folks around here!

Thanks to all of you for factual and well-supplied information!  Botulism does, indeed, happen.  And I can point to two individuals who developed it in the last two weeks...both from homemade infused oils innocently given as gifts.


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## jpinmaryland

Now that ya'all have me completely freaked out about this here are some more related questions:

What about herbs stored in vinegar, I have some tarragon thats been sitting in the fridge w/ vinegar for a year or so. Should I toss this? 


WHat about these nice, preservered lemons I'm storing? They have been boiled in water and have a layer of oil on top...


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## jennyema

Generally storing herbs in vinegar is considered safe, as the acid prevents bacteria growth.  http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09340.html

I would guess that the acid in the lemons would do the same, but the acid level may have been diluted by the salt or other preserving mechanism.  Since it's a common way to preserve lemons, I would guess that it is ok.  But it's certainly worth some research.


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## jdreamer63

*What type of vinegar?*

I would like to revive this thread for just a minute. I was gonna mince some garlic and store in oil but didn't know how to go about doing this properly so I, of course, Googled. This thread was like second in the search results. I really learned a lot here. Don't think I'll be storing in olive oil after all. One glimmer of hope that I could still store garlic ahead is that I can store the garlic in vinegar. What kind of vinegar? Balsamic vinegar? Apple cider vinegar? White vinegar? Does the garlic take on any of the taste of the vinegar?


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## GotGarlic

Freshly minced garlic will give you the best flavor; I have a mini food chopper similar to this, for mincing large quantities: Elite Cuisine Mini Food Chopper : Target

If you really want to store it, I would suggest using white vinegar; the garlic will flavor the vinegar, rather than the other way around.


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## jdreamer63

Hey thanks for the quick reply. Yeah, I know fresh is better. That's definitely what I prefer but my friend's uncle bought a huge amount from a local farmer. He bought so much my friend gave me part of it. I have 5 bulbs which is like 50 cloves, right? I'm pretty much by myself these days. I'm single, my one child is now grown and not around much so I won't use all this garlic before it goes bad unless I preserve it somehow. Thanks again for the white vinegar suggestion. I'm assuming in a glass jar with enough vinegar to cover the minced garlic?


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## sparrowgrass

Your garlic will keep for a couple weeks in a cool, dry, dark place.  

Another way to keep it is to roast the whole head, squeeze the pulp out and freeze it in a small container.  (Or bake a loaf of bread while you are baking the garlic, and eat the whole loaf smeared with it.  Don't do this if you are on a diet.)


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## dobozban

*Botulism threat is incredibly low*

I know this link is very old, but it comes up pretty high in the google search, so I figured I'd update. 
There seems to be a lot of cautioning about storing garlic in olive oil, but I have to say that the risk is incredibly low, like struck by lightning while spelunking low.  
See the Center for Disease Control website discussion of Botulism:
It doesn't let me post urls yet, so search the CDC website for botulism. 
Below I have pasted a pertinent paragraph. First though, the stats.  There are about 145 cases of botulism, of which 15%, or 22 are foodborne.  If you look at the paragraph below, particularly what is bolded, you can see that there have probably been about 3 cases from garlic in oil ever.  And there is a 3-5% death rate for botulism cases in the US.  
I'm not saying to not be careful, but you really have to look at the facts before becoming concerned and raising alarm.  You would probably reduce your risk of illness more by taking a shower and soaking in sanitizer every time you go to the bathroom than you would by not eating garlic stored in oil. Or for a more realistic comparison, you could probably reduce your risk of injury by taking one fewer trip to the store in a car each year.  >40,000 people killed by cars every year and many many more injured.  I don't want to seem like I'm attacking anyone here, but just want to put things in perspective.

Botulism can be prevented. Foodborne botulism has often been from home-canned foods with low acid content, such as asparagus, green beans, beets and corn. However, *outbreaks of botulism from more unusual sources such as chopped garlic* in oil, chile peppers, tomatoes, carrot juice, improperly handled baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil, and home-canned or fermented fish. Persons who do home canning should follow strict hygienic procedures to reduce contamination of foods. Oils infused with garlic or herbs should be refrigerated. Potatoes which have been baked while wrapped in aluminum foil should be kept hot until served or refrigerated. Because the botulism toxin is destroyed by high temperatures, persons who eat home-canned foods should consider boiling the food for 10 minutes before eating it to ensure safety. Instructions on safe home canning can be obtained from county extension services or from the US Department of Agriculture. Because honey can contain spores of _Clostridium botulinum_ and this has been a source of infection for infants, children less than 12 months old should not be fed honey. Honey is safe for persons 1 year of age and older. Wound botulism can be prevented by promptly seeking medical care for infected wounds and by not using injectable street drugs.


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## dobozban

Ahh, I just saw that the most recent post was not that long ago... nevermind my comment on this being an old thread...


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## Scotch

I just don't see why anyone would chop garlic ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, in oil or otherwise. Aside from the risk of botulism poisoning, which can be deadly, it strikes me as a total waste of time, effort, and storage containers. 

Fresh garlic is best, no question about it. And with all due respect to Buckytom, I won't touch that gunk that comes in jars. 

Fresh garlic is easy to peel -- pull a couple of cloves off the head, put them on the cutting board, lay the side (not the cutting edge) of a knife on top of a clove, and give it a whack with your hand, hard enough to smash it a little. The skin will then come right off. Use a garlic press to crush it into your sauce, or chop it with a knife if you prefer. It takes only seconds. 

If you don't have a press, try this one, which is only $16.95 from Amazon:


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## blissful

I had some ginger start to mold on me, so the next time I bought it, I pulsed it in a processor and added a cup of wine (white dry) in a plastic container with a lid. I would have used sherry if I had had some in the house. I wanted to see how long it would last. It's been in the fridge for about 4 months now and I used some 2 weeks ago in a stir fry, it looks and smells great. 
I haven't stored garlic this way but I'd like to do the same thing with the garlic, for sauces and stews and chinese stir fry. I don't know if the wine is acidic enough for garlic. Anyone? TIA ~Bliss


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## mcnerd

Interesting narrative by *Dobozban* which I've heard similarly from the anti-seat belt and anti-motocycle helmet people.  The theories run fine until you are a witness to one of those "small" group that it never happens to.  Then it takes on a different perspective.

Yes it is a safety feature.  Yes the chance of a person having it happen to them is rare, but does that mean you play Russian Roulette with the odds and "hope" that you beat the odds?  You can be the best defensive driver in the world but you can still be involved in an accident and be severely injured or killed.  The same goes for food and especially canning.

You had food poisoning, probably often and most times don't realize it because the symptoms are common to other ailments, especially the Flu.  Even hospitals and doctors don't know until something said clues them in that direction.  That's one of the reasons why the statistics are low since they aren't always reported or reported correctly.

Having studied food preservation and home canning extensively, I think I will continue to follow the recommendations from the Food Scientists with PhD's on the subject and their published recommendations for "safety" and leave the riskier behavior for others.


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## Scotch

There's also the issue of one's responsibility for the persons for whom you cook. Do you care so little about your spouse or children that you would risk exposing them to botulism, even though the risk is small? Just how much risk do you tolerate? 

I'll tell you this: if it were my child or grandchild, and they contracted a life-threatening illness because of someone's "can't happen to me" attitude, I'd beat that person to death with my bare fists.


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## kitchenelf

blissful said:


> I had some ginger start to mold on me, so the next time I bought it, I pulsed it in a processor and added a cup of wine (white dry) in a plastic container with a lid. I would have used sherry if I had had some in the house. I wanted to see how long it would last. It's been in the fridge for about 4 months now and I used some 2 weeks ago in a stir fry, it looks and smells great.
> I haven't stored garlic this way but I'd like to do the same thing with the garlic, for sauces and stews and chinese stir fry. I don't know if the wine is acidic enough for garlic. Anyone? TIA ~Bliss



blissful - I store my peeled and sliced ginger in dry sherry.  It lasts a VERY long time (a year or more if you happen to forget you put it behind something in the cabinet )  You don't even have to refrigerate it.  And on top of that, you get to use that wonderful ginger-infused sherry in a stir fry or other dish!


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## mcnerd

I just put my chunk of Ginger in the freezer and slice off what I need at any time.  It seems to last forever that way.


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## GB

When I buy ginger I buy just enough that I will need for my recipe (OK maybe a little more). It is so inexpensive that i spend $.20 or so and have nothing to store after. If I used it more often though then I would use the sherry method.


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## jennyema

Botulism isn't about spending a day or two in the bathroom.  It can very easily kill you or put you in a wheelchair or on dialysis for the rest of your life.  If that risk doesn't bother you, then go ahead and store fresh herbs and veggies in oil.

I often buy large amounts of garlic and just separate the cloves and freeze them.

Better than letting it get old and sprouted.


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## wnight

*Minced garlic (Turned Green)*

I am 66 years old and have minced a lot of garlic. I usally buy it in the big jars and keep it in the fridge. I went and bought 6 tubes of garlic and minced it and was going to bring it to a boil to kill any bacteria that was in it. *Well, I added water to the minced garlic so I could boil it and when it started to cook it all turned a nasty green.* Can anyone tell me what happened ? I have never seen this happen in my life. I am going to throw it all away and stick to buying the minced garlic in the jars like I have been.
Steve


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## Andy M.

Hi, Steve.  Welcome to DC.

There is a chemical reaction that occurs at times that will turn garlic green or blue.  The color is harmless.

More importantly, boiling garlic will not make it safe for long term storage.  Storing it in oil will not make it safe for long term storage.

Either buy minced garlic in a jar, mince as needed it or buy an good garlic press and press as needed.


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## wnight

Thank you for your advice: Just the idea of it turning green does not look appealing. I will stick to the store bought jars. Thank you for your time.
Steve


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