How To Make Low FODMAP Garlic-Infused Oil
A life without garlic would be a less flavorful life, but have no fear. Low FODMAP Garlic-Infused Oil is not only flavorful, it is even allowed during the Elimination Phase of the low FODMAP diet and our recipe is completely compliant with the most up-to-date Monash University science in regards to FODMAPs. (Cue the trumpets playing and angels singing).
UPDATE BELOW ON NEW STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS!
YOU CAN FREEZE THE OIL SAFELY LONGTERM – AND THE OIL WILL STILL BE LOW FODMAP
When we first learned that garlic was packed with fructans and was a significant digestive disruptor for many we have to admit, it didn’t surprise us. All of our lives we have come across friends and family who would state that garlic and onions (fructan rich also) didn’t “agree” with them.
Who knows how many of those people were actually reacting to the FODMAPs but just didn’t know it? They could have been enjoying Garlic Infused Oil all along because the offending fructans are not oil soluble. This means that all that garlic flavor can be infused into the oil with no negative effects for those avoiding FODMAPs.
Get Garlic Flavor Into Your Low FODMAP Diet
While garlic itself is not allowed during the Elimination Phase maybe you will be one of the lucky ones and realize during your Challenge Phase that fructans and garlic don’t upset your digestive system. Lucky you! You will be able to eat out at Italian and Mexican restaurants with abandon.
Get Your Garlic Fix!
For the rest of us, we have to be a bit more creative in how we can get garlic into our lives. Garlic Infused Oil is our number one way of doing so.
While you can buy Garlic-Infused Oil (see Shop) we recommend that you first read our article titled Know What’s In Your Garlic Oil. If you want to make it, the recipe is here below.
Note that the finished, cooled oil should be refrigerated in an airtight container and used within 3 days, per the FDA’s recommendation. There is a risk of botulism growth if you do not heed this warning. But don’t worry, if you follow our lead there is no problem.
Simply bring to room temperature before using, or use a measuring spoon to scoop out what you need. Olive oil will solidify and turn cloudy in the fridge; it might look odd but it is still okay to use.
The more garlic you add to the oil, the stronger the garlic flavor will be. Make a batch, taste and assess whether you want more or less garlic flavor the next time around.
The amount of garlic we recommend below is for a moderate garlic flavor; not too faint and not too bold. For recipes where garlic is the focus, such as in our Basil Pesto, we recommend doubling the amount of garlic.
STORAGE UPDATE!
We originally suggested refrigerating the oil and using within 3 days, as that is what the USDA recommended for safety and had no other storage information. The risk is botulism growth, which can be deadly.
Recently it came to our attention that the USDA actually has contradictory information in regards to storage recommendations; their storage information is not consistent and ranges from 2 days to 7 days refrigerated for garlic-infused oil. We communicated with our contact in summer 2020 to be able to provide you with the best and most current information. After reviewing the various documents that they provided, we are sticking with the 3-day recommendation for refrigeration – but, you can also freeze it!
Can Garlic-Infused Oil Be Frozen?
A few community members asked if the oil could be frozen and we were fascinated by the idea!
I reached out to Linda Harris, the Department Chair at University of California, Davis, for Food Science and Technology. She said that the oil could be safely frozen “indefinitely”. I tried to pin her down to length of time and she clarified that this was from a safety perspective and not a taste perspective.
So, the answer is YES you can freeze the oil, which means you can make larger batches and have them in the freezer available for you whenever you need it! Of course, we are concerned with flavor as well. We suggest freezing some for a month, tasting it, and see it the flavor is to your liking.
If it is, try pushing it and try 3 months the next time! And we would love to hear about your experiences, as well.
The freezing does not affect the FODMAP aspect and the recipe remains a low FODMAP recipe per Monash University recommendations.
How to Freeze Garlic-Infused Oil
Now that we know we can freeze our garlic-infused oil, what is the best way to accomplish this? Of course you have to use freezer safe containers to start, but that still leaves a variety of approaches.
We certainly think freezing in very user-friendly portions is the way to go. You can try freezing in ice cube trays and once frozen, transfer the cubes to a large airtight container or heavy zip top bag. This is great for individual (or close to it) servings.
Or, find jars that allow you to pour the oil easily once defrosted and use up within 3 days, during which you would keep it refrigerated.
If you do not want to make your own Garlic-Infused Oil we have some of our favorites available for purchase through our Shop. Also check out our article reviewing some of our favorite low FODMAP garlic-infused oils!
Low FODMAP Garlic-Infused Oil
Low FODMAP Garlic-Infused Oil is the easiest way to get garlic flavor into your low FODMAP foods. And it can be frozen for longer storage so you never have to be without!
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 2 cups (480 ml); servings size is 4 U.S. teaspoons (20 ml)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (480 ml) extra virgin olive oil, pure olive oil or vegetable oil such as canola, grapeseed, rice bran, safflower or sunflower
- 6 large cloves of fresh garlic, peeled, whole or halved
Preparation:
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Have ready a glass storage bottle, container or jar with an airtight lid. Rinse with boiling water and dry thoroughly; set aside.
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Pour oil in a small sized non-reactive pot and heat over low heat just until just warm to the touch, then remove from heat. It is important not to overheat the oil as its flavor and integrity will degrade. No need to use a thermometer, just go by touch and only heat the oil until it is warm, not hot.
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For a more subtle garlic flavor, leave the cloves whole; for more potent garlic flavor halve the cloves Add garlic to oil, off the heat, and allow to sit for about 2 hours. Strain into the clean jar, making sure to remove all of the garlic pieces; we like to line a fine wire-meshed strainer with cheesecloth to catch any garlic pieces. Seal jars and store in refrigerator, using within 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months for safety (see headnote and TIPS below).
Dédé's Quick Recipe Tips Video
Notes:
TIPS
- You may use whatever kind of oil that you like. Our recipes will specify whether we are calling for Garlic-Infused Oil made with olive oil or a more neutral carrier oil, such as sunflower, canola, rice bran or the like.
- Think about how you will be using the oil. If you are planning to make pesto or about to cook some Italian foods, then use olive oil as your base. If you want to cook Mexican or know that you do not want the flavor that olive brings to a dish, then choose a more subtle flavored oil, such as the ones listed above.
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UPDATE: You can freeze the oil safely. Take advantage of this fact and make larger batches. In theory the oil can be frozen indefinitely but the flavors might degrade. We suggest freezing some 1 month, tasting it, and see if the flavor is to your liking. If it is, try pushing it and try 3 months or longer. Freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and stir in an airtight container.
The freezing does not affect the FODMAP aspect and the recipe remains totally compliant with all Monash University recommendations.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Hi do u eat the garlic with the oil or put the garlic in the TRASH? thank you god bless u
Thank you for writing. YES, discard all garlic pieces. Throw them out. Do not eat any of the garlic. Strain the oil, separating out the garlic pieces and discard all of the garlic pieces.You want to be left with garlic-infused, meaning garlic-flavored, oil with no pieces of the garlic left behind.
Thank you for the recipe.
Just wondered about the last sentence “Seal jars and store in refrigerator, using within 3 days for safety.”
Do I need to use the oil within 3 days, then it will go bad?
According to the USDA and FDA that govern food safety in the U.S. YES, the oil should be refrigerated and then consumed within 3 days. The concern is bacteria growth, particularly botulism. You will find recipes that suggest steeping oil and garlic or herbs in a jar in the sun for days. There are recipes that give no storage recommendations. Other recipes suggest indefinite room temperature storage. Can this be done? Sure. Is it as safe as it can be? NO. We want to make sure that you enjoy your garlic-infused oil and do not incur any unnecessary health issues. We strongly recommend that you follow our suggestions, which are in line with the USDA and FDA.
Commercially bottled oil has been either treated with an acidic ingredient or preservative or has been sealed in a way that prevents the bacteria growth. Similar to the way that when you open a jar of purchased tomato sauce and the lid is “sealed” and “pops”, the product has been processed under pressure to make it safe. They haven’t just put the product in a container, screwed on the top and then sent it out for sale.
At home, most of us are just preparing the garlic-infused oil and then pouring it into a jar. Refrigerate and consume within 3 days for safety – and taste!
I was wondering how to use the oil. If a recipe calls for 1 clove of garlic, how much oil should I substitute?
Hi Fleur, this is a great question with what I am sorry to say does not have a great answer. This is because every commercial oil will vary in garlic strength and even the oil you make at home could vary batch to batch because the strength of the fresh garlic that you use could differ time to time. Since the oil is the carrier of the flavor, we have to defer to the oil for amounts. In other words, let’s say you are sauteeing something and the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of oil, or that’s the amount that seems right to you while you are freewheeling it. You wouldn’t just double the oil because you wanted more garlic flavor, as that would yield too oily/greasy a result. So we are bound by the oil as a starter point. You could try different brands to assess strength. I personally do not know which is the strongest. I either make my own or use FODY, which is fairly mild, in my opinion.
Can you freeze the oil so it lasts longer?
Sandra, this is a great question! While I know that freezing oil is okay, I am unsure about whether it is safe after garlic has been infused. I will be checking with the USDA as soon as I can this coming week and will get back to you with an answer here. Thank you for asking…I am looking forward to learning this as well.
I was just thinking the same thing! If you could freeze it in ice cube trays and take out only what you need that would be great. I’m not sure if I can post a link here but if you google *University of Idaho Extension Garlic Infused Oil* you’ll find a pdf that states “but the food safety control for these products
is refrigeration for a maximum of 2 to 4 days OR FREEZING (my emphasis). It is unsafe to store these home-prepared garlic or herb-infused oils at room temperature.” So, I’m going to try to freeze it. (But I’d still be interested in hearing what the USDA says 😉
Hi there! I have several emails and calls out to various contacts and am still waiting on a response to the freezing question. It does look like it is possible, but I want details for length of storage time in the freezer.
Meanwhile, we are also looking at creating a recipe where the garlic would be acidified first, making the product safe at room temperature. We have an opportunity to get the samples tested for safety and are looking into doing this. Stay tuned!
Thanks Dede, looking forward to the freezing answer! How would you acidify garlic? Can this be done with onions as well?
We will be presenting a recipe when we know the details more specifically and have confirmed the testing with a lab.
According to Linda Harris, the Department Chair at University of California, Davis, for Food Science and Technology, we CAN freeze the infused oil safely. When I tried to pin her down to length of time she said “indefinitely”, however she clarified that this was from a safety perspective and not a taste perspective. I would say, freeze for 1 month and give it a taste. If it tastes great, try 3 months! And let us know about your experiments!
That would be great! I don’t always plan far enough ahead to thaw it.
How about using “” DRIED”” garlic ?? Or dried onions………there should be no need of freezing….and a long shelf life……..stored in a dark coloured glass bottle and kept in a dark-cool place.Your comment please.Thank you,Mario (Canada)
Hi Mario, the USDA does have literature that addresses using dried garlic and herbs and they say that a three-month room temperature storage time frame is safe HOWEVER this does not address the FODMAP issue, which is what we are also concerned with. Here is my take on this: 1) The flavor you will get from using fresh garlic will be superior, so why use dried? 2) Most dried garlic or onion products are very fine in texture and it will be very hard to extract all the solids from the oil. You do NOT want to eat the dried garlic or onion as that would be a high FODMAP flavored oil product. 3) Dried is a more concentrated product so if there is a FODMAP issue, it might be accentuated. 4) You could always try and assess your own FODMAP reactions. I love that you ask questions! Have a great day.
Sounds amazing. Thank you so much for your research into safety. ?
Useful info, thank you! Something that sprung to mind: if it’s ok to consume garlic infused oil is it possible to add a clove of garlic to soup and then remove it after cooking (ie. don’t eat the actual clove)?
Hi Nicholas, thank you for writing. Unfortunately, your idea won’t work because soup, being based on water, stock or other liquid cannot come in contact with the garlic. Fructans are water soluble and will leach into the soup. When exposed to oil ONLY, no fructans release into the oil. Good creative thinking, though!
Great info, thank you.
I had no idea about the three days – now I do.
Colin, thank you for commenting. It is unfortunate that there is much mis-information on-line when it comes to recipes and in this case, a serious potential health and safety issue. It IS better safe than sorry. We are happy that the information is of help to you. We are all dealing with IBS. The last thing we need is another digestive or health issue layered on top that is so easily avoided.
Have you tried making your own low FODMAP garlic-infused oil? Let us know how it went!
I did It! I LOVE It! Thanks so much for the récipe! I wanted yo ask you if I can use It for cooking?
Thanks for this recipe:) I know that you also have a recipe for onion-infused oil. It would be fine to add both garlic AND onion, right? Thanks!
Hi Carolyn, I have been waiting for someone to ask this question! We have to talk theoretically here because no combo infused oils have been lab tested. When I infuse garlic OR onion in oil, I do not add ANYTHING else to the oil that has a water content that contains fructans. If you put onion and garlic together in oil, this is what you would be doing. BUT, in theory, even if the fructans mingled in the onion and garlic solids, you would still be removing all the solids before consuming. So in theory, this could/might/probably be okay. So, what would I do? I would try it if I were feeling stable in my symptoms and adventurous in my approach. Just be aware of what is going on and test the waters – or the oil, as the case may be! Let us know if you do and what your results were to share with others!
I have done this with making shallot infused oil and have put in ice cube trays as well as tiny glass Ball jars but my question is: My oil doesn’t fully freeze solid, like my ice cubes do. What can I do to make these infused oils freeze solid with either garlic or shallots? Thank you!
How interesting! I have not had this issue but have never tried larger volumes. Please email me dede@dedewilson.com. Meanwhile I will reach out to my academic connection.
I got a very quick answer from Linda Harris, Specialist in Microbial Food Safety from University of California, Davis. Here is what she said: “I am unsure why you would see a difference in how solid the oil was. Freezing is a phase transition where a liquid turns into a solid. Different olive oils, with different compositions will solidify at different temperatures but that shouldn’t be influenced by container. At freezing temperatures bacteria are influenced by the temperature and not the phase.” So , perhaps was it a type of oil the time you got the odd results? Any which way, the freezing temperatures are what we need to pay attention to.
Thanks for this info, which is consistent with what I have seen before. I’ve been on the low FODMAP diet for 5 years and often make garlic infused oil. I note all recipes I’ve found are based on soaking raw garlic in warm oil. This process seems set up to increase the risk of bacterial issues. My method is different. I cook sliced garlic gently in olive oil until it’s golden (I use the lowest heat on my slow cooker), then soak it for a couple of hours more at room temperature, before straining. I store some oil in the fridge and use over a few weeks, and put the rest in ice cubes in the freezer.
My question is: Doesn’t this method eliminate the botulism risk of raw garlic? So why have I never seen a recipe recommending cooking the garlic properly?
BTW, I also save the used garlic in the freezer for my not-bothered-about-FODMAPs partner. He says it lacks flavour compared to fresh garlic, but it’s easy to use larger amounts.
During testing I found that for my palate I did not like the flavor if the oil got any hotter than “very warm”. There are plenty of recipes that call for simmering and I find the resulting taste to be acrid. I know plenty of folks who have made garlic oil at home – even soaking it in the window sunlight for a week and lived to tell the tale, with no digestive upset. But the FDA is always going to err on the side of caution and we do, too. Statistically speaking, botulism can occur. Likelihood might be low (or not) but we rather be safe than sorry. Great idea about saving the garlic!
Hi
Please help with a question. After freezer and when we want to uset it, we must let it unfreeze at room temperature or we might uset it directly from freezer to pan? Thanks for your help
Defrosting at room temperature or putting it in a pan to help it melt will not affect anything from a FODMAP or a taste perspective. Great question though!
I have grown my own organic garlic from the same strain for 10 years by replanting some of my biggest & best garlic cloves & as I live in Australia will botulism still be a problem if I dont follow your directions re refrigeration & freezing ?
Your garlic sounds fantastic but unfortunately the quality of the fresh garlic is not what is at issue here. The same FDA guidelines would apply to your garlic, or supermarket garlic. As I stated in the article, I wanted to present the safest preparation methods, even though we are aware that many people do not follow that protocol.
I see other recipes for fodmap garlic oil, that say they simmer the garlic and oil together for 20 mins or so. Is there anything wrong with doing it that way? Does it get more garlicky? Or are there any bad consequences from doing it that way?
Hi Jenny, as I explain in the recipe, I personally did not like the flavor that resulted. Very harsh and acrid. You could try it. No problem from a FODMAP perspective. It “might” get more garlicky but in my opinion it loses elegance, clean flavor and nuance. Whatever you do, please be safe and adhere to storage recommendations – which are contrary to many other recipes, too!
I’m curious if I can use roasted garlic in lieu of raw garlic? I understand that water is a catalyst for the fructans, but I can’t decipher the water content of roasted garlic…
If are asking if you can roast garlic first and them use it to infuse homemade oil, the answer is yes, if you follow certain prophylactic procedures. You could roast garlic in oil and then use that concentrated oil to flavor your bulk oil. If you roast garlic without oil, I would imagine some water content evaporation would take place, but how this would effect the final FODMAP content of the roasted garlic, we do not know, because it has not been lab tested. Read our article on Dehydration, for instance, and you will see that logical conclusions are not always correct. Certainly you would have a high FODMAP product if you incorporated roasted garlic into oil and left the solids in the oil to consume along with the oil. If you used the roasted garlic to flavor the oil and then removed the roasted garlic pieces – proof will be in the testing. Lab testing, for sure, but also, you could see if you tolerate it yourself, which is what is most important.
Can you just infuse the garlic and oil at room temperature? Then discard. What difference does it make heating up the oil to start?
The heat helps provide maximum extraction of the garlic flavor. It will be much more subtle if left at room temperature – and you would not want to leave it at room temperature for an extended period of time for safety reasons.
Is there any reason I can’t make garlic-infused oil in the microwave? Either high for 10 seconds or low for longer?
In theory you could do this. It depends on your familiarity with your microwave, as you just want to heat the oil until hot (but not simmering/boiling), which would be more difficult to control than stovetop. As long as you only immerse garlic and then remove it at the proper time, you will not have any FODMAP issues.
I followed this recipe several times but wanted to up the garlic flavor on this recent batch. I used a whole bulb/head, and this time when I checked it after the 2 hour cool down, it was cloudy. Is it still safe to use? I may have also overheated the oil. What do you think?
A couple of questions. Did you smash and release a lot of garlic “juice”? This could produce cloudiness and is also not recommended by Monash. If not, I would say it is probably the overheating and/or oil quality. If it were me, I would still try it. See how you do with it. THAT is the most important thing. It isn’t “bad” in the sense that it is “rotten”.
Is it possible to see an official Monash recipe?
In their app, it is said that you should put whole or halves of garlic cloves in oil for 1-2 minutes and remove the garlic.
I wonder also if I can squeeze a little bit the cloves to extract more oil. If I understand well smashing the cloves (as you do in the video) is not recommended but what about cutting gatlic into smaller slices (later on I assure tuat all the slices are removed)?
Hi Dominik, what Monash provides is what is on their app and site. I can tell you that we have had many discussions with Monash about garlic infused oil and originally we had the cloves smashed and they suggested that we present the recipe as you see it written here. Smaller slices would be fine. Per their recommendation I would not smash or try to get more aggressive. BUT this is not a lab tested item. If you wanted you could try and see how you do with digesting a version as you described. You might enjoy reading this article, What Is A Low FODMAP Serving Size?
I did mash the garlic instead of cut it! Thank you so much for getting back to me. This site has been awesome since we switched to low FODMAP. Keep up the good work!
Hi,
Question. Is it correct to assume that if we can make this oil and still be low fodmap, that I can also still cook with garlic cloves as long as I remove them before eating the dish?
Yes and no. You can put oil in a pot, add garlic, sauté it around and remove all of the cloves and go on with your dish. BUT YOU CANNOT add anything else to the pot (meat, veggies, stock, wine, etc.) cook the food and then remove the garlic cloves. This latter approach will yield a high FODMAP dish due to the water-soluble fructans that will then be in the dish.
Your newsletter link mentions onion infused oil, but I do not see any reference to onions elsewhere. Can I saute onions in oil, remove all trace of onion and have it be FODMAP?
Yes you can! https://www.fodmapeveryday.com/recipes/onion-infused-oil/