"Goslowsky, George" wrote: > > So, using my method of making chile oil, could I toss a couple of heads of > fresh garlic in with the dried chiles and simmer for two days and still be > safe? Maybe...if you keep the temp in the crockpot above 212 degrees F, the garlic cloves reach an internal temp of 212 degrees, and you can be sure all the moisture has evaporated from the garlic (I'd smash 'em flat before tossing 'em in). Keep in mind, the bacterial spores remain viable until subjected to temps of 240+ degrees F. All it takes is the right temperature, moisture and anaerobic (which the oil provides) environment for them to regenerate, grow, reproduce and produce their deadly toxin. Whatever method one decides is safe and chooses to use, common sense should be the final decider. When I was growing up in the 40s and 50s, my mom used to can non-acid veggies using the boiling water bath method...definetly not recommended now-a-days. We all survived, I think, because she used common sense to tell when it was time to throw something out. A couple years ago, I made Orange Chile Oil using my "hold at 250 degrees F" method. I kept it a 250 degrees until all the fresh veggies had stopped sizzling and assumed all the moisture had evaporated. I strained it, bottled it and kept it on the counter. After two or three months on the counter (and after not having used it for several weeks), I opened it and a blast of pressurized air came out of the bottle. That made it suspect and common sense said "Throw it out!"...and I did. Better to be safe than sorry. -- Rich McCormack (Poway, CA) macknet@pacbell.net Who is Rich McCormack? Find out at... http://home.pacbell.net/macknet/