Storing homemade dipping oils

[MichelleRenee]

I have started making my own dipping oils for bread at home. I use olive oil with fresh garlic and dried herbs.

Once I make an oil how long do you guys think I can store it? It cn't be put in the fridge and I am just wondering if adding stuf to the olive oil (the garlic, specifically) mean it will go bad if left out for too long.

PS Any recommendations on what kind of containers I should store it in? I have been just using tupperware.

[KrissyCat7]

I believe I read somewhere that you should use them within one to two weeks. I would store them in the fridge.

[AmandaLeigh]

I don't know how long it would keep, but you should probably store it in a glass container rather than plastic if it is going to be kept out. Plastic is slightly pourus and can hold bacteria even if it is well cleaned (not really much of an issue if refrigerated for short periods). Glass is non-pourus, and, therefore, less likely to harbor bacteria if it is sanitized before you put the oil in.

[MichelleRenee]

Krissy: I tried putting it in the fridge and the oil went solid. Oops....

Amanda: that is a good point!

Thanks!

[Sadie]

Michelle, I found this info:
Herbs added to oil and stored can carry Clostridium Botulinum, which causes a deadly food poisoning, so use your homemade oils within one to two weeks and store them in the refrigerator.

When making infused dipping oils at home, food safety is the greatest concern. Oil by itself cannot grow bacteria, but herbs and vegetable pieces containing water mixed into dipping oils can. Botulinum organisms can grow in food sources containing even trace amounts of water and cause botulism - a serious form of food poisoning. For this reason, blending and storing infused dipping oils without refrigeration is not recommended. Still, dipping oil blends make fabulous gifts for holidays, house warmings and more. The threat of botulism contaminating your homemade oils is very real and should not be ignored; however, there are ways to make oil and vinegar preparations at home that can be used promptly or given as gifts.

Botulinum organisms need water to grow, so anything that does not contain water cannot host botulinum toxins. Herbs, garlic, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes and many other ingredients that make delicious dipping oil ingredients should theoretically be safe to add to oils, so long as the ingredients have been completely dried in a food dehydrator or by some other means of food dehydration. The difficulty in a home kitchen environment is ensuring that the food is 100 percent dry, containing no trace water whatsoever. For the absolute safest route, a little creativity is called for.

If you are mixing oils to use as hors d'oeuvres or for immediate home use, botulism is of little concern. Even fresh herbs and ingredients can be used for a mix that will be consumed within a short amount of time. Mix your infused oils according to recipe instructions and store in the refrigerator. Mixing a day ahead of time gives the ingredients extra time for the flavors to blend while remaining safely refrigerated for some time. If refrigerated, homemade infused oils are safely stored for one to two weeks. Bring the desired amount of oil to room temperature before dipping.

[MichelleRenee]

Thanks Sadie!