Re: [CH] Storing in oil (and preserving chiles)
Mike Stallcup (michael.stallcup@msfc.nasa.gov)
Mon, 24 Apr 2000 09:45:48 -0500
Andrew wrote:
>I've been contemplating different storage mthods for these pods and was
>thinking of either:
>a) putting them all in the blender and then freezing the resulting
>paste in an ice-cube tray (one lump or two in tonights curry,
>buggerit, make it three and eat it all myself); or
>b) a combination of half stored by the above method and the other
>half stored in oil (so I can use the oil as well).
>
>I remember reading a while ago about the pitfalls of storing chile's in oil
>but cannot remember the exact details so could those of you with "the
>Knowledge" please refresh my memory. If there's on thing I don't need at
>the moment it's a dose of Salmonella/Botulism/Food poisoning.
The quick and easy answer to storing chiles in oil is to only use
thoroughly dried chiles. If the chile has a thick wall you might
split it open to be sure you get it thoroughly dried. It's OK to
store fresh produce (chiles, garlic, etc.) in oil as long as you keep
it below 39 F (i.e. refrigerated). Personally, I dry mine before
putting in oil to avoid any possibility of problems.
Freezing is good; canning under pressure (not boiling water bath) is
good if you are talking about storing pure chile. If you add enough
acid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) to get the pH up it's OK to can
with a boiling water bath.
Check out http://chileheads.netimages.com/preserve.html
See also http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap2.html
To destroy C. botulinum spores, food must be heated under pressure to
temperatures substantially greater than 212 F. Certain environmental
conditions promote production of botulism toxin in foods contaminated
with C. botulinum spores, such as absence of oxygen (anaerobic
conditions), pH greater than 4.6, warm temperatures (generally
greater than 39 F [4 C]), high moisture content (water activity), and
lack of competing bacterial flora.
Covering foods in oil may provide the anaerobic conditions required
for the production of botulism toxin. Outbreaks of botulism in the
United States and Canada have been caused by covering vegetables with
oil or grease. For example, in 1983, onions covered in grease and
left overnight on a grill caused a large outbreak of botulism in
Illinois, and commercially processed garlic in oil caused outbreaks
in 1985 and 1989. As a result of these outbreaks, the Food and Drug
Administration recommended the addition of antimicrobial growth
inhibitors or acidifying agents to such products.
--
- Mike
(My words not NASA's)
Carpe Capsicum! (C-H #36, hab seed intact)