I'm using garlic I bought just yesterday so I know it's good. Anyway, I sliced it & placed it on a whole chicken that I'm slow-cooking in a crockpot. When I last checked on it, I noticed the garlic is turning blue. Why & is it safe to eat?
2007-02-27 06:19:16 · 2 answers · asked by jkmd5 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
Acid is the culprit. 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 bad news is the acid-soaked garlic looks like something a Smurf might serve at the dinner table. The good news is the garlic flavor remains unchanged (except for the flavor of the acid) and is totally edible without bodily harm.
2007-02-27 06:25:05 · answer #1 · answered by Steve G 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Garlic contains sulfur compounds that might 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. The other sources of copper might be the butter or lemon juice. The garlic is safe to eat. To prevent this in the future, do not refrigerate garlic and store the bulbs in dry air for 32 days at above 70 F to 80 F before use to prevent formation of the green or blue-green pigments.
2007-02-27 15:01:26 · answer #2 · answered by Cister 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋