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:
It would be a big job to clean them:)
Preserving is often a case of trial and error and unhappily, as in your experience, things can go badly wrong.
Alphie
It wasn't too bad, the oil had gone over some of my jars of Tayberry Jam.
Alas, that is so. At least I'll know for next year.
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
Put them in your next curry!
I threw them out; I didn't think they could be saved!
I was a bit rash, and disposed of them.
I must admit we put our jars in the fridge because I'm a bit paranoid about botulism.
Hope all the other jars stay shut tight.
I would have done the vinegar thing that Maria mentions. Hadn't thought about wine.
I've now put the others in the fridge. I did wonder whether the problem was due to heat.
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.
Maria's mention of the word botulism sent the fear of God through me.
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.
Are you sure this is not an invasion from outer masquerading as bottled tomatoes?
It does look a bit outer-worldish.
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.
Botulism is something I always worried about years ago when we bottled our tomatoes. I am glad you threw them away.
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.
They way they were 'fizzing' they looked evil. I did eat one anyway.
"of course I tasted them" Now that gave me shivers. You are brave.
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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