I' am infected.

[HawkeyeSmokes]

That sounds good Arnie. My question is, how long will it keep in oil, kind of like the mushroom question I had. Will the smoking and olive oil keep them going bad? I'm not sure and hope we get some more replies to this.

[ArnieM]

HS,

I've done hot and cold canning before and I'm still here - a little strange maybe - but still here.

I looked back at my post and decided to change it a bit.  Details below.

Canning or pickling cleanliness is right up there with those nasty chickens. 

Get a set of canning/pickling jars - mason jars - along with the screw on caps and lids.  They're pretty inexpensive.

While smoking whatever you're doing, get a nice big pot of water boiling.  Submerge the jars, lids and screw on caps in the water.  Heat up the oil, whatever kind you decide on, to about 220.  I like to add a bit of pickling/canning salt.  (You like a little dill, garlic, black peppercorns - feel free.)

You need tongs that should have also been in the boiling water.  Actually, two would be better.  Yeah, I know, step 2 came after step 3.

Get you food out of the smoker.  (Change:  Don't cool 'em first.)  Fish out a jar (first set of tongs) and drain.  Pack the food into the jar the best you can (second set of tongs).  Pour in the oil, leaving about 1/8 to 1/4 air space at the top.  Fish out a lid and put it on top.  Get a screw on ring out of the water and screw it on, but not too tight.  Rinse and repeat for all that you have.  Any food left over, eat it.

Put the jars on a cooling rack.  As the liquid cools, the lids should 'pop' down.  When this happens, tighten up the screw on rings.  Store in the fridge.

Sterilization is most important.  Don't touch any of the food or anything that would go into the jar with your hands.

Please remember.  This is only my advice.  If you try this and die, don't email me.  ;D

[Hopefull Romantic]

That sounds good Arnie. My question is, how long will it keep in oil, kind of like the mushroom question I had. Will the smoking and olive oil keep them going bad? I'm not sure and hope we get some more replies to this.

HS sorry I only saw your post this morning.

The Labneh (cheese) I made has been done for generations in the same fashion I have done the only thing different is I smoked it. Usually, the good Labneh would be made some time in April or May and I remember when I was a kid that my late Mom would buy it and have a Labneh rolling party with some of her neighbors and they roll and roll and roll by the kilos. Filling some many large mason jars and then covering them with olive oil. That would be our entire year supply of that Labne until the following spring comes again. It never went bad. No mildew or anything else grew there as long as the labneh is submerged in oil. So would the smoked labneh survive as good, I don't know yet it has never been tried before. But stay tuned and I shall report on the taste and the condition in a couple of weeks, if I managed to wait that long.
On the other hand, you and Arnie started me think about some thing else. Another thing that is a delicacy here is called Magdous. The are baby eggplant (no longer than you middle finger and no wider than two fingers, cored, stuffed with pecans and some spices and then submerged in olive oil. They have to be stored for a while to soften up and then you eat them with bread. The medley of tastes there is incredible and they are great with a cup of tea. So, I wonder how they would taste smoked. This dish is made by older ladies and I am gonna have to ask one of my aunts (got seven) or my mother in law to make them for me and then I ...well we will see what happens.

If you try Arie's recipe and some thing happens to you (God forbids) I will email him.

HR

[Hopefull Romantic]

Just a follow up HS,

I have been reading on the subject and according to this article http://www.wisegeek.com/is-it-safe-to-store-garlic-in-oil.htm it seem that it is if you have olive oil with high acidity.

Although EVOO is available here, it is not widely used because most people prefer using olive oil fresh from the first press or at the most the second and both would be much higher in acidity (not noticeable much in taste) than EVOO.

Listen, once while in Vienna visiting a cousin. While looking through his pantry, I discovered a can of black eyed beans that had already expired for over a year. We use this kind of beans to make a very famous Egyptian dish in this neck of the woods. Being in Austria for over a month (my cousin even longer) and having missed the taste of that dish I opened the can and smelled it. It was fine so I went ahead and prepared the dis and we both had it for lunch. That happened in 1977 and I am still around to talk about it and in case you are wondering nothing happened to either of us that day at all.

Now some things have to be thrown out by expiry dates...milk, medicine to name a few. But now they have expiry dates on cooking oil and even bottled water  ??? ??? ??? They are forced to use food grade containers so what the heck could go wrong.

HR

[HawkeyeSmokes]

HS,

I've done hot and cold canning before and I'm still here - a little strange maybe - but still here.

I looked back at my post and decided to change it a bit.  Details below.

Canning or pickling cleanliness is right up there with those nasty chickens. 

Get a set of canning/pickling jars - mason jars - along with the screw on caps and lids.  They're pretty inexpensive.

While smoking whatever you're doing, get a nice big pot of water boiling.  Submerge the jars, lids and screw on caps in the water.  Heat up the oil, whatever kind you decide on, to about 220.  I like to add a bit of pickling/canning salt.  (You like a little dill, garlic, black peppercorns - feel free.)

You need tongs that should have also been in the boiling water.  Actually, two would be better.  Yeah, I know, step 2 came after step 3.

Get you food out of the smoker.  (Change:  Don't cool 'em first.)  Fish out a jar (first set of tongs) and drain.  Pack the food into the jar the best you can (second set of tongs).  Pour in the oil, leaving about 1/8 to 1/4 air space at the top.  Fish out a lid and put it on top.  Get a screw on ring out of the water and screw it on, but not too tight.  Rinse and repeat for all that you have.  Any food left over, eat it.

Put the jars on a cooling rack.  As the liquid cools, the lids should 'pop' down.  When this happens, tighten up the screw on rings.  Store in the fridge.

Sterilization is most important.  Don't touch any of the food or anything that would go into the jar with your hands.

Please remember.  This is only my advice.  If you try this and die, don't email me.  ;D

Thanks for the reply Arnie. I took the post as just smoking and not canning once done. Your answer makes a lot of sense as I to have canned a lot of things.

If I do try this and die, I promise not to email you. Our good friend HR will do that for me and offer his condolences.  ;D

It's nice to have friends on this forum!