Pickled Garlic Turned Blue/Green?

[GratefulDave]

Yesterday I did some more canning. I did some more pickles, peppers, and cauliflower. To each of the jars I made I added about 4 cloves of garlic. While checking my seals I noticed that (some more than others) the garlic cloves had turned a bit blue-ish/green.

Anyone seen this before? Could it possibly be a reaction to bruising the cloves may have sustained while being peeled with one of those silicone tubes you roll on the counter? Previous jars I did this year did not show this same reaction.

Curious to hear your thoughts.

Dave

[IrishChef]

No worries. If I remember right, it has to do with the amount of iron in your water. Cauliflower and brussel sprouts will sometimes do it as well.

[GratefulDave]

No worries. If I remember right, it has to do with the amount of iron in your water. Cauliflower and brussel sprouts will sometimes do it as well.

That would make sense as we have very hard water down here.
Thanks IC

Dave

[HawgHeaven]

Yes, whenever we do garlic pickles, the garlic looks just like that... be aight!

[Big Guy]

No problem, hard water is the cause

[Richtee]

No worries. If I remember right, it has to do with the amount of iron in your water. Cauliflower and brussel sprouts will sometimes do it as well.

The water reacting with the sulfur in those particular veggies.

[ALX]

No worries. If I remember right, it has to do with the amount of iron in your water. Cauliflower and brussel sprouts will sometimes do it as well.

,,,chemical reaction thats harmless...natural.....

[GratefulDave]

I'm glad since the garlic at the end of the jar is always the best part!!

Thanks guys.

Dave

[HawgHeaven]

I'm glad since the garlic at the end of the jar is always the best part!!

Thanks guys.

Dave

Dave, I like to sliver it up, and stuff it into some pitted green olives with some good blue cheese... Yummo. Good in martinis, or just to snack on. Try it!

[lcruzen]

I've got a water softener and still get the same reaction. Our water is so hard you have to chew it.

[PitRow]

Saw this on another site while looking at other pickling topics...

According to the Food Network at www.foodtv.com... they looked into the reason pickled garlic sometimes turns blue or green. Garlic contains anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that turn blue, green 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.

On the same subject,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 perfectly safe to eat.

Garlic exposed to excessive direct sunlight can also turn green and acquire a bitter taste.

[DaveOmak]

I know this thread is a little aged..... I have hard water also and have started using distilled water from the WM to process my canned and pickled stuff... Depending on your water, distilled can improve the final products flavor....
for the price, improved flavor makes it worth it...

Dave