BWCA FoodSaver Foolishness and Exploding Garlic Boundary Waters BWCA Food and Recipes
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TrekScouter
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12/10/2013 08:39PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I came home from the grocery store a couple of weeks ago with three heads of garlic. As we don't use garlic all that much, I thought I'd vacuum seal two of them to keep them fresh longer. Imagine my surprise when I saw that my tightly sealed garlic had blown up like a balloon! Can anyone explain what's happened here to cause the garlic to form gasses and expand?

Sooner or later this thing's going to explode, and startle whoever is near.
 
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12/10/2013 08:57PM  
looks similar to how it feels in the tummy?

this just in from Google: "Garlic can hold Clostridium botulinum spores which can find a favorable environment to produce the bacteria and toxin. Remember what happens when there is a swelled top on a canned product?.. that is because the anaerobic bacteria have grown and in their growth process, releases toxins & gas."

hope this helps!

 
TrekScouter
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12/10/2013 09:24PM  
quote Mocha: "looks similar to how it feels in the tummy?

this just in from Google: "Garlic can hold Clostridium botulinum spores which can find a favorable environment to produce the bacteria and toxin. Remember what happens when there is a swelled top on a canned product?.. that is because the anaerobic bacteria have grown and in their growth process, releases toxins & gas."

hope this helps!"

Thanks, Sheryl. It helps that I won't be getting sick from my little science project. I guess I'll be throwing these out now.
 
sleepnbag
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12/10/2013 09:47PM  
Thats cool!
 
billconner
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12/11/2013 08:26AM  
I think garlic should be left to dry, not sealed.
 
inspector13
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12/11/2013 08:57AM  

Garlic bulbs are alive and actively respire like all other living organisms. Since those bulbs do not look to be rotting yet, the gas causing that bubble is most likely only CO2. Garlic bulbs can keep up to nine months if stored in cool dry places. Only foods that have been cooked at a temperature high enough to stop all respiration and enzymatic activity (to kill all living cells) should be vacuum sealed.

 
finman
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12/11/2013 08:20PM  
SHE'S GONNA BLOW!!!!!!!!!!
 
Swampturtle
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12/12/2013 05:32PM  
quote billconner: "I think garlic should be left to dry, not sealed."

Yep, that's why they sell unfinished clay jars with holes in them to store garlic bulbs.

 
andym
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02/09/2014 08:26PM  
If it is CO2 then it will put out a fire. Take a wood match light it, cut a whole in the bag and stick the match in and see if it goes out.

But plants with photosynthesis produce oxygen. In that case, it will burn all the brighter. Just like blowing on a campfire.

 
02/12/2014 10:48AM  
This winter is taking it's toll on everybody.
 
02/12/2014 11:51AM  
quote unshavenman: "This winter is taking it's toll on everybody."


lol
 
hubben
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02/13/2014 09:00PM  
The Clostridial genera of bacteria--common soil anaerobes--are known for gas production (probably hydrogen sulfide), but my guess is that this is just a benign product of organic decomposition present despite the fact that no signs of garlicious decay are evident.
 
hubben
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02/13/2014 09:08PM  
Please check your local laws about proper disposal of improvised explosive devices and biological weapons (of the un-intended variety) before throwing the garlic in your general trash receptacle.
 
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