Re: [CH] Pepper oil
Rich McCormack (macknet@pacbell.net)
Tue, 26 Sep 2000 05:47:12 -0700
yoda wrote:
>
> Danger DANGER Danger DANGER - Potential bacterial HAZARD!!!
>
> never ever put fresh wet peppers under oil!!!!
> only dried peppers should go into oil, and even then they and the oil
> should be raised to 212/220F - 100/105C and held there for several
> minutes.
Heating the oil to 212 degrees F and holding for several minutes will
destroy any C. botulinum present, but a minimum of 240 degrees F is
required to destroy the spores of C. botulinum. Since the spores
remain inactive in foods with a water content of less than 35%, adding
dried chiles to oil should be OK, but adding fresh chiles, garlic,
herbs and such is asking for trouble. Flavored oils made with dried
ingredients can generally be stored at room temps, but oils made with
fresh foods and herbs should be kept refrigerated. Since heating foods
to 185 degrees F destroys the toxin produced by C. botulinum, using
flavored oil for sautéing is pretty safe. But I'd be more wary, and
make sure I knew how the oil was made, before using in salad dressings
and such. When making chile oils, even when using dried chiles, I heat
the oil to 250 degrees F and hold it at that temp until I'm sure the
flavorings have been heated to 240+ as well, and any moisture that
might be present has been completely evaporated.
--
Rich McCormack (Poway, CA) macknet@pacbell.net
Who is Rich McCormack? Find out at...
http://home.pacbell.net/macknet/