Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
While garlic is the devil in bulb-form for us IBS sufferers , garlic-infused olive oil is actually perfectly lowFODMAP if you do it right! You can still enjoy that delicious garlic flavour without the usual consequences.
Making it yourself is easy and considerably cheaper than buying it pre-made from the shops, so it's a great recipe to have in your low FODMAP repertoire.
Why is garlic oil low FODMAP, if garlic is high FODMAP?
Well, the oligosaccharides in garlic are sugars, which only dissolve in water. So they do NOT dissolve into oil, but the flavour does!
TOP TIP: when you are buying pre-made garlic oil, it must say "infused". If there is garlic extract added to the oil there will be FODMAPs in there.
WARNING: There is a small risk that the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum will be present, usually found in soil, which thrives in anaerobic conditions (e.g. in oil where there is no oxygen). It can then produce the toxin botulin, which is obviously a really dangerous thing to consume. However, we'll be taking steps to avoid this.
[Prep: 2 minutes. Cook: 15mins + several hours to cool & infuse. Total = 17 minutes + rest time] Makes 200ml (~1 cup)
*CONSUME WITHIN TWO WEEKS*
INGREDIENTS
200ml (~1 cup) of olive oil
4-6 cloves of garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
First peel the garlic cloves, doing your best to keep them fully intact.
Cut off the root end, this makes contamination with C. Botulinum less likely.
In a pan, cover the garlic cloves in the oil and gradually raise the heat until the garlic is bubbling gently.
Simmer for around 15 minutes. The garlic should go beautifully golden but not black or burnt.
Turn off the heat, cover and leave to cool and infuse for the rest of the day or at least a couple hours.
When the oil is cool, you'll need to carefully strain out the garlic. Any little pieces left in the oil will stop it being low FODMAP so don't agitate the softened cloves.
Meanwhile sterilize a jar & lid by first washing it with soupy water, rinsing it and placing it in a hot oven for 10 or so minutes. Then leave to cool.
If you have a muslin cloth to hand, use it laid over your sieve on top of a bowl/jug. Pour in the oil and check the result is beautifully clear.
Transfer the strained oil into your sterilized jar and enjoy! You can safely store it for up to two weeks and even keep it in the fridge if you are particularly worried about botulism, although it will solidify a bit.
