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["Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>]

Well, on the garlic cause it comes out of the ground.

Salt *alone* will inhibit botulism because it removes the growth medium. 
However, we are talking about salt curing, not just a pinch.  A pinch of 
salt does nothing in that respect.

When you put it in oil, you are putting it back in a growth medium.  The 
salt won't have any effect once the oil is introduced.

BTW, dehydrated tomatoes, for whatever reason, aren't as tasty as those you 
actually dry in the sun.  Don't know if you guys out there can do that 
because of the humidity??  Yes? No?

Lynda
The press corp is fact-adverse but very fable friendly.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "EarthNSky" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>


> It is my understanding that botulism is often found in the garlic.  If I
> acidify the garlic first, or omit it, then it would be safer.
> Also, I read that salt inhibits the bacteria, too, and I believe that
> they used kosher salt in the layers in that recipe.
>
> It may actually be a mute point.  I won't be eating these things right
> out the jar, I intend to use them on pizza, which is cooked at better
> than 400 degrees.  That would kill the bacteria and the spores.
>
> I could easily put a few on a cookie sheet and heat them like that in
> the oven before I chopped them up for a pasta salad, too.
>
> They are just so good!
>
>
>
> Lynda wrote:
> > You can check the pH.  Some home canners use the sticks and some use a
> > meter.  But olive oil wouldn't be high enough and it is the ideal growing
> > medium for botulism.
> >
> > Most studies advise against keeping them in oil for more than a week.
> >
> > Lynda
> > The press corp is fact-adverse but very fable friendly.
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "EarthNSky" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
> >
> >
> > > I'm going to dry some tomatoes.
> > > I love the jars of sun dried tomatoes that you get in the store, the
> > > toms are soaking in olive oil and they are great on bread or pizza or in
> > > pasta salad.  However, I know it is not safe to preserve tomatoes in
> > > olive oil like that.  But it would seem to me, that as long as I got the
> > > tomatoes really really dry, and stored the jars in the refrigerator, it
> > > would be okay.  Of course, I could always store the dry tomatoes
> > > separately and then add them to some oil a week or so before I intend to
> > > use them, but that will take some planning.  I also thought about maybe
> > > just dropping the dried toms in and oil and vinegar Italian style salad
> > > dressing a week or two before they are needed.  Again, planning
> > > required.  Is it worth thinking about to acidify the tomatoes with
> > > vinegar, dry them, and then put them in oil?  Waste of time?
> > > Regular olive oil is a weak acid, but it's not like you can just measure
> > > the pH.
> > >
> > > I want to do this...
> > > http://www.scordo.com/2009/08/recipe-homemade-sun-dried-tomatoes-olive-oil.html
> > > Doesn't that look good????
> > >
> > > Surely as long as it is prepped in a clean space, stored in the fridge,
> > > and all other precautions are taken, it would be good for a few weeks?
> Sleep well tonight, for somewhere in the ocean's depths, MY son is
> protecting your freedom on the USS Key West, currently deployed
> somewhere in the Pacific and/or Indian Ocean.  Go Navy!
> EarthNSky Farm, NW Georgia, USA
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