Blue garlic during pickling
How do I make the garlic not come out blue during pickling? I know it is safe to eat, I just do not like how it looks. I have used minced garlic but sometimes I prefer cloves. There has to be a way, you can buy pickled garlic in the store and it is not blue!
Best Answer
Yes, I also got pickled garlic that got blue after I got it from market. What I always do is as soon as I get them from a market, I insert few cloves in it for a short duration of time because I don't want the flavour of cloves and blanching it does help. The heat in blanching will destroy the pigments for coloration.
How to blanch: - Dip garlic in cold water - Heat it - Repeat again and again (Preferably 4 times)
The blue color is mainly due to the enzyme (sulphur and amino acids) and is harmless.
Hope this helps....
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Quick Answer about "Blue garlic during pickling"
When pickling or cooking garlic, sometimes it turns a turquoise or bluish-green color. Don't worry; this is perfectly normal and doesn't mean there's something wrong with the garlic. If you prefer white garlic in your recipes or gifts of canned vegetables, you might think there is something wrong with it.Why did my garlic turn blue when pickling?
Garlic can turn blue or green if it is exposed for a long time to any acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar. The acidity causes the reorganization of the molecules in the garlic cloves. This creates polypyrroles, molecules that give garlic cloves a green or blue colour.Why would garlic turn blue when canning?
The color change is caused by a reaction between enzymes and sulfur-containing amino acids in the garlic (the same enzymes are responsible for garlic's flavor). When these enzymes are activated by mild acid, they produce blue and green pigments.Is garlic safe to eat if it turns blue?
The good news is, the color doesn't affect the taste or safety of the garlic. "Nothing suggests the color affects the taste or flavor of the food," says LaBorde. "You're just rearranging some molecules inside the garlic. Even if it's blue, it should be okay."Why Does Garlic Turn Blue When It's Pickled?
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Answer 2
The people I talked to regarding the "blue garlic" have long since died, but were the ones who taught me how to pickle veges and pickles. Supposedly it is due to the freshness of the garlic. When we buy garlic in the markets, we don't know how long the garlic is there. Also, there are many types of garlic, and if you get your garlic from farmers markets, it is supposed to be fresh and usually bigger cloves in the flowers (the bunch). Personally, I usually make about 10 gallons or so of picked veges at a time, my family and friends want it and I am the only one who makes it, and sometimes one or two gallons have blue garlic, not all but one or two gallons. I have even rubbed them in salt and put them in white vinegar to marinade while preparing the veges. Till now, even the little kids don't get sick, on the contrary, they love to eat blue garlic. Go figure.
Answer 3
I am pickling the garlic myself-when I put it in with my cucumbers to enhance the cucumbers flavor it's normal garlic color and then after I add the brine it turns blue. From what it looks like blanching and/or buying brand new garlic is the only way to prevent this. I also read somewhere if you refrigerate it for 2 weeks prior this may prevent the discoloration but I don't always plan that far ahead of time. Thanks for all the replies.
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Images: Viktoria Slowikowska, Viktoria Slowikowska, Polina Kovaleva, Kindel Media