I am wondering if I mix 1 tbs of honey, ACV and olive oil with 1 crushed garlic with a squirt of lemon juice, then microwave it for 15 seconds (enough make the mixture bubble but not overflow) can that cause botulism if I immediately drink the mixture afterwards?
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13What is ‘acv’? If it's an acronym (e.g. for apple cider vinegar?), then capitalising it would make that clearer. – gidds Apr 05 '22 at 12:52
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3Does this answer your question? How to make garlic oil in a safe way...tomorrow – FuzzyChef Apr 05 '22 at 16:32
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3Welcome to SA! Questions about garlic, oil, and botulism have been asked multiple times, and I think you'll find that the answers to those cover what you need to know. That includes these questions: https://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/39432/7180 https://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/15113/7180 – FuzzyChef Apr 05 '22 at 16:33
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1No, but why would you do that? The mix seems very strange to me. What is this for? – Neinstein Apr 06 '22 at 13:34
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1Neinstein: from the ingredients, sounds like Greek ladelomomo dressing. – FuzzyChef Apr 06 '22 at 16:21
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1Just to note, you mentioned powdered ginger in the title but not in the body of the question. You can [edit] if you need to fix that. – wjandrea Apr 06 '22 at 20:34
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No, of course not. Botulism is the result of bacterial fermentation over a long period of time. If the ingredients are safe, mixing them will also be safe.
Sneftel
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26I would suggest adding the corollary that if the ingredients were not safe in the first place, then microwaving them will not "kill the spores". – Federico Poloni Apr 06 '22 at 09:23
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1@FedericoPoloni That's not what the OP was asking about. None of the OP's ingredients are "suspect". (FWIW, though, boiling for long enough will inactivate botulinum toxin, which is all that matters for eating it.) – Sneftel Apr 06 '22 at 10:31
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3@FedericoPoloni The spores are not dangerous to >6 months olds, or we would all be dead by now. Bacteria and viruses, on the other hand, will suffer a lot from 15 seconds of boiling (if I understand the OP right). It's basically a flash pasteurization that just falls a bit short of industry standards. – Peter - Reinstate Monica Apr 06 '22 at 13:21
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Thanks @Sneftel and Peter for the corrections; this seems useful information. – Federico Poloni Apr 06 '22 at 13:24
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8Might want to clarify "a long period of time". Botulism can poison a mixture in as little as 72 hours. Much more than the OP is asking about, but folks may refer to your answer out of context. – FuzzyChef Apr 06 '22 at 16:23
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3@Sneftel Honey and garlic absolutely can contain C botulinum. It just is usually not harmful to adults. – BlackThorn Apr 06 '22 at 20:21
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@FedericoPoloni I've heard/read that you should avoid using fresh garlic in sous vide recipes because of the risk of botulin poisoning. But the time in question doesn't seem to be of concern. – JimmyJames Apr 06 '22 at 21:10
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1@Peter-ReinstateMonica The toxin is destroyed by heat but the spores are heat resistant and the spores will turn into more C. botulinum over time in oil. That's why it's important to make the distinction that it's safe to consume immediately but storage is more difficult (microwaving does not make it safe to store). – user3067860 Apr 07 '22 at 17:36