Garlic has turned color?
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FryBoy
Washing Up
I never fool around with ANYTHING that looks suspicious -- I've had food poisoning three times in my life, and I don't want to repeat it. Discoloration MIGHT be due to just a transfer of the color from the green beans to the garlic, but it could be something more serious. If you don't know for sure, dump it!
Garlic is dangerous in certain situations because it can be a prime breeding ground for deadly botulism, and improper home canning is a source of botulism poisoning. I understand that botulism in garlic is primarily a problem when it's stored in oil, but I suspect it could also occur if the canning was not properly done (inadequate heat, not heated long enough, etc.).
I'm only guessing here, but I strongly believe that one should be very cautious when it comes to food and possible contamination. When in doubt, throw it out!
Garlic is dangerous in certain situations because it can be a prime breeding ground for deadly botulism, and improper home canning is a source of botulism poisoning. I understand that botulism in garlic is primarily a problem when it's stored in oil, but I suspect it could also occur if the canning was not properly done (inadequate heat, not heated long enough, etc.).
I'm only guessing here, but I strongly believe that one should be very cautious when it comes to food and possible contamination. When in doubt, throw it out!
licia
Executive Chef
That was a question on one of the cooking shows and they said it is a chemical in the garlic that makes some turn bluish. It isn't bad and doesn't hurt to eat it. I've never seen it happen, though.
blue_cup said:New to canning here...
I canned some green beans on Tuesday and just noticed that the sliced garlic has turned a greenish/blue color. I suspect this isn't a good thing?
Can you post your recipe so that we can help out?
Ginger does the same thing. I wouldn't worry about it.
Loprraine
Executive Chef
If the garlic is young, it can turn colour. I bought some at the market a few years ago. When I pickled it, it turned almost neon green. I emailed the company whose recipe I used, and that was the answer they gave me. We all ate it, and are still here. 
thecactuswill
Senior Cook
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2006
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Or perhaps it just absorbed color from the surrounding vegetable?
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Garlic turns blue-green in acidic environments. It's harmless.
blue_cup said:I canned some green beans on Tuesday and just noticed that the sliced garlic has turned a greenish/blue color. I suspect this isn't a good thing?
I'm guessing you made "pickled" green beans. It's just a harmless chemical reaction due to iron, tin or aluminum in your cooking pot, water or water pipes reacting with the pigments in the garlic - young garlic that has not been aged will usually do this. It is perfectly safe to eat - as others have noted.
It is NOT an indication of botulism.
pipcampinagain
Assistant Cook
well, this was a help to me, thanks to all of you guys for letting me kno it wasnt totally abnormal. The other nite i baked cauliflower florets with sliced elephant garlic,salt,pepper and some olive oil..........when the dish was done i had noticed the garlic slivers were light blue......this was very odd to me, at first i thought maybe transfer of color then i realized there was no color(lol) from the cauliflower......so i am to assume that perhaps there was a reaction from the ceramic type vessel i cooked in?
YT2095
Executive Chef
perfectly normal and indeed equaly harmless
it`s a simple reaction acting upon anthocyanins present in garlic, the same anthocyanin found in blue berries egg plant and some chili types.
and don`t worry about the Cyanin group, although it is a Carbon Nitrogen bond the same as Cyanides, we have absolutely no way of breaking this down to anything toxic either, eat them!
it`s a simple reaction acting upon anthocyanins present in garlic, the same anthocyanin found in blue berries egg plant and some chili types.
and don`t worry about the Cyanin group, although it is a Carbon Nitrogen bond the same as Cyanides, we have absolutely no way of breaking this down to anything toxic either, eat them!
jpmcgrew
Executive Chef
I just made my first refrigerator dill pickles from the cucumbers my neighbor grew threw in a couple of garlic cloves and they are starting to turn blue on the ends.Well I remembered this topic did a search so here I am.Discolouration of garlic on canning
Discolouration of bottled garlic in vinegar
Users of bottled garlic in vinegar are occasionally alarmed to find that the product has turned green or blue-green. These colour changes do not make the product unsafe but are obviously undesirable.
The problem of garlic changing colour is associated with the addition of acid which changes the normal pH of the product. This is precisely what is required to ensure that the garlic remains safe but the change in acidity brings about chemical changes in pigments in the garlic.
All plant materials contain various pigments some of which change colour as the pH of the plant tissue is changed by the addition of vinegar or other acids. The most common of these pigments are the anthocyanins which may be blue, colourless or red depending on the pH.
These pigments may be involved in some colour changes observed in preserved garlic but American scientists have identified another more general explanation.
Certain amino acids, natural components of foods, are responsible for many of the pigment characteristics of the onion family which includes garlic. The American scientists have shown that the outstanding difference in composition between garlic which turns green and garlic which does not is the presence of much higher levels of one particular amino acid in the green garlic.
It is not possible to tell by looking at untreated garlic whether it is likely to become green on crushing and acidification. However the work reported indicates that if garlic bulbs are stored for four weeks at a temperature above 23°C prior to processing, the production of the green pigment is prevented.
This may not be practical at the domestic level, but could be a valuable precaution for commercial producers.
This excerpt taken from
Food Science Australia Fact Sheet
http://www.foodscience.afisc.csiro.au/oilvine.htm
Discolouration of bottled garlic in vinegar
Users of bottled garlic in vinegar are occasionally alarmed to find that the product has turned green or blue-green. These colour changes do not make the product unsafe but are obviously undesirable.
The problem of garlic changing colour is associated with the addition of acid which changes the normal pH of the product. This is precisely what is required to ensure that the garlic remains safe but the change in acidity brings about chemical changes in pigments in the garlic.
All plant materials contain various pigments some of which change colour as the pH of the plant tissue is changed by the addition of vinegar or other acids. The most common of these pigments are the anthocyanins which may be blue, colourless or red depending on the pH.
These pigments may be involved in some colour changes observed in preserved garlic but American scientists have identified another more general explanation.
Certain amino acids, natural components of foods, are responsible for many of the pigment characteristics of the onion family which includes garlic. The American scientists have shown that the outstanding difference in composition between garlic which turns green and garlic which does not is the presence of much higher levels of one particular amino acid in the green garlic.
It is not possible to tell by looking at untreated garlic whether it is likely to become green on crushing and acidification. However the work reported indicates that if garlic bulbs are stored for four weeks at a temperature above 23°C prior to processing, the production of the green pigment is prevented.
This may not be practical at the domestic level, but could be a valuable precaution for commercial producers.
This excerpt taken from
Food Science Australia Fact Sheet
http://www.foodscience.afisc.csiro.au/oilvine.htm
Jenyfari
Cook
This information comes from this site: Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about garlic
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Q: What happens when garlic turns green or blue during pickling or cooking?[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
A:According to Food Network at Food Network : Cooking, Recipe Collections, Party Ideas, Quick & Easy Recipes, Cooking Videos (published in the Rocky Mountain news 2/20/2002), looked into the reason pickled garlic sometimes turns blue. Garlic contains anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that turn blue or purple in an acid solution. While this color transformation tends to occur more often with immature garlic, it can differ among cloves within the same head of garlic. The garlic flavor remains unchanged, and it totally edible without bodily harm. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]On the same subject, our friend, Bob Anderson, explains that garlic contains sulfur compounds which can react with copper to form copper sulfate, a blue or blue-green compound. The amount of copper needed for this reaction is very small and is frequently found in normal water supplies. Raw garlic contains an enzyme that if not inactivated by heating reacts with sulfur (in the garlic) and copper (from water or utensils) to form blue copper sulfate. The garlic is still safe to eat.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Garlic exposed to direct sunlight can also turn green and acquire a bitter taste.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Q: What happens when garlic turns green or blue during pickling or cooking?[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
A:According to Food Network at Food Network : Cooking, Recipe Collections, Party Ideas, Quick & Easy Recipes, Cooking Videos (published in the Rocky Mountain news 2/20/2002), looked into the reason pickled garlic sometimes turns blue. Garlic contains anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that turn blue or purple in an acid solution. While this color transformation tends to occur more often with immature garlic, it can differ among cloves within the same head of garlic. The garlic flavor remains unchanged, and it totally edible without bodily harm. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]On the same subject, our friend, Bob Anderson, explains that garlic contains sulfur compounds which can react with copper to form copper sulfate, a blue or blue-green compound. The amount of copper needed for this reaction is very small and is frequently found in normal water supplies. Raw garlic contains an enzyme that if not inactivated by heating reacts with sulfur (in the garlic) and copper (from water or utensils) to form blue copper sulfate. The garlic is still safe to eat.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Garlic exposed to direct sunlight can also turn green and acquire a bitter taste.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
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