Tuesday 5 September 2017

Bloody Disaster.



I went to the store cupboard to fetch some pickles, and found Olive Oil all over the place.

One of my jars of Sun-Dried Tomatoes seems to have 'fermented', or 're-hydrated'. They probably weren't quite dried enough. Luckily my other jars are all OK.

I would have thought that being in oil they would have been safe, but as soon as I unscrewed the lid it started bubbling from the bottom, and the Tomatoes erupted; as you can see from the photo they were forcing themselves out through the top. 

We learn by our mistakes, and I shall know next year to make sure they are very well dried; 4 days in the sun perhaps instead of 3.

I'm very annoyed with myself, as I'd considered them to be one of my 2017's success stories.

I did, of course, taste them; they were delicious.




22 comments:

  1. It would be a big job to clean them:)

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    Replies
    1. It wasn't too bad, the oil had gone over some of my jars of Tayberry Jam.

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  2. Preserving is often a case of trial and error and unhappily, as in your experience, things can go badly wrong.
    Alphie

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    1. Alas, that is so. At least I'll know for next year.

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  3. With bought dried tomatoes, I always give them a quick sear in vinegar and wine before putting them in oil; it prevents fermenting and, most important the danger of forming botulism. I would cook the 'fermented' ones before eating them, just to be safe, Cro.
    Greetings Maria x

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    Replies
    1. I threw them out; I didn't think they could be saved!

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  4. Put them in your next curry!

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  5. I must admit we put our jars in the fridge because I'm a bit paranoid about botulism.

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    Replies
    1. I've now put the others in the fridge. I did wonder whether the problem was due to heat.

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  6. Hope all the other jars stay shut tight.
    I would have done the vinegar thing that Maria mentions. Hadn't thought about wine.

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    Replies
    1. I opened the others to see if they were the same; they weren't. I think the lot that went off were under salted and under dried.

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  7. Maria's mention of the word botulism sent the fear of God through me.

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    Replies
    1. I didn't like the sound of it either. I was once told that bottled Asparagus can cause botulism. I would never buy Asparagus in bottles; now even less so.

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  8. Are you sure this is not an invasion from outer masquerading as bottled tomatoes?

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  9. It's not a particularly relevant comment but I really can't take to sun dried tomatoes except for cooking. But then I've never tried a home-bottled one.

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    Replies
    1. When I was younger I used to eat them like sweets, taking them from the jar as I passed by. I'm better behaved these days.

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  10. Botulism is something I always worried about years ago when we bottled our tomatoes. I am glad you threw them away.

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    Replies
    1. They way they were 'fizzing' they looked evil. I did eat one anyway.

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  11. "of course I tasted them" Now that gave me shivers. You are brave.

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    Replies
    1. It was only a few weeks ago that I dried them, I didn't think it was long enough ago for poisons to have developed. Ha ha.

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