GARLIC OIL

1 large head Garlic	Garlic-chive flowers (optional)
3 3/4 Cup Vegetable or light olive oil

Separate garlic into individual cloves reserving 4 or 5 cloves. Lightly crush remaining garlic cloves; peel and coarsely chop them.

In large jar, place crushed garlic and cover with oil; seal tightly. Store in the refrigerator for a week to ten days.

Strain the garlic-flavored oil and pour into a 1 liter bottle. Peel reserved garlic cloves and thread onto a long wood skewer. Insert skewer into bottle. Add garlic-chive flowers, if desired. Seal and store bottle in the refrigerator. Makes 1 liter.

WORD OF CAUTION - Ideal for stir-frying, this garlic-infused oil should always be kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator (38 degrees) to reduce the risk of botulism. Unrefrigerated garlic-in-oil mixes can foster the growth of CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM BACTERIA, which produces toxins that do not affect the taste or smell of the oil. Spores of this bacteria are commonly found in the environment and sometimes on produce such as garlic. These spores are harmless when there is oxygen present. But when spore-containing garlic is bottled and covered with oil, an oxygen-free environment is created that promotes the germination of the spores with subsequent toxin production resulting at temperatures of 50 degrees or above.