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Garlic/ginger/onion paste turning green?

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01 / Original postGarlic/ginger/onion paste turning green?Ariane Jenkins · 9 Aug 2005 02 / This pagePosts 1–9Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #9Ariane Jenkins · 10 Aug 2005

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General fitness, health and nutrition
Published
9 August 2005
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10 August 2005
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Ariane Jenkins
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  1. Original post
    Ariane Jenkins
    Archived post
    #1

    I was trying to make the chicken korma recipe out of Julie Sahni's _Classic
    Indian Cooking_ for dinner tonight. It begins with sauteeing a mixture of 3
    cups finely chopped onion, 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic, and 1 (okay, I used more
    than that) cloved minced garlic. I used canola oil, and a nonstick pan. The
    cooking utensil was one of those OXO nylon ones. I used a regular carbon
    steel knife to chop the onions/garlic/ginger, but further pureed it in a
    food processor to get a smoother consistency.

    And the mixture turned GREEN. Pale green at first, but getting darker toward
    pea green as it continued to cook. This has happened once before, and I have
    no idea why.

    I dumped out the first batch, then started again using only garlic and onion.
    Again, it started turning green. I decided not to continue because the last
    time it did this and I finished the recipe it tasted...off. No point in
    completing the dish when it won't taste right, but now I'm out of onions and
    can't make a third attempt until I buy some more.

    Anyone have any ideas for why this happens and what I can do to prevent it
    again? Ruining dinner is one of the surest ways to put me in a foul mood.

    Ariane

    Report
  2. Victor Sack
    Archived post
    #2
    Ariane Jenkins said:

    And the mixture turned GREEN. Pale green at first, but getting darker toward
    pea green as it continued to cook. This has happened once before, and I have
    no idea why.

    It seems that under acidic conditions garlic can sometimes turn green,
    which is harmless. See, for example,
    <http://www.apinchof.com/garlicqanda.htm>.

    At <http://www.foodsafetycentre.com.au/factsheets/oilvine.htm> you will
    also find the following:
    <quote>
    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.
    </quote>

    I don't know why your recipe once tasted off.

    Victor

    Report
  3. Victor Sack
    Archived post
    #3
    Ariane Jenkins said:

    And the mixture turned GREEN. Pale green at first, but getting darker toward
    pea green as it continued to cook. This has happened once before, and I have
    no idea why.

    It seems that under acidic conditions garlic can sometimes turn green,
    which is harmless. See, for example,
    <http://www.apinchof.com/garlicqanda.htm>.

    At <http://www.foodsafetycentre.com.au/factsheets/oilvine.htm> you will
    also find the following:
    <quote>
    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.
    </quote>

    I don't know why your recipe once tasted off.

    Victor

    Report
  4. nancree
    Archived post
    #4

    Hi , Ariane
    Quite a puzzle you have there. I notice you mentioned garlic twice
    in the ingredients. Did you, perhaps, leave out some other ingredient
    in the list?

    " It begins with sauteeing a mixture of 3
    cups finely chopped onion, 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic, and 1 (okay, I
    used more
    than that) cloved minced garlic. I used canola oil, and a nonstick
    pan."

    Or could it have been something in the food processer that set it off?
    Let us know what you find out.

    Nancree

    Report
  5. nancree
    Archived post
    #5

    Hi , Ariane
    Quite a puzzle you have there. I notice you mentioned garlic twice
    in the ingredients. Did you, perhaps, leave out some other ingredient
    in the list?

    " It begins with sauteeing a mixture of 3
    cups finely chopped onion, 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic, and 1 (okay, I
    used more
    than that) cloved minced garlic. I used canola oil, and a nonstick
    pan."

    Or could it have been something in the food processer that set it off?
    Let us know what you find out.

    Nancree

    Report
  6. Ariane Jenkins
    Archived post
    #6
    nancree said:

    Hi , Ariane
    Quite a puzzle you have there. I notice you mentioned garlic twice
    in the ingredients. Did you, perhaps, leave out some other ingredient
    in the list?

    " It begins with sauteeing a mixture of 3
    cups finely chopped onion, 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic, and 1 (okay, I
    used more
    than that) cloved minced garlic. I used canola oil, and a nonstick
    pan."

    Or could it have been something in the food processer that set it off?
    Let us know what you find out.

    Oops, I accidentally typed garlic twice in the post, the first mention
    should've been ginger.

    I wondered about the food processor too, but can't imagine what
    difference it would make vs. chopping it all by hand.

    Ariane

    Report
  7. Ariane Jenkins
    Archived post
    #7
    nancree said:

    Hi , Ariane
    Quite a puzzle you have there. I notice you mentioned garlic twice
    in the ingredients. Did you, perhaps, leave out some other ingredient
    in the list?

    " It begins with sauteeing a mixture of 3
    cups finely chopped onion, 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic, and 1 (okay, I
    used more
    than that) cloved minced garlic. I used canola oil, and a nonstick
    pan."

    Or could it have been something in the food processer that set it off?
    Let us know what you find out.

    Oops, I accidentally typed garlic twice in the post, the first mention
    should've been ginger.

    I wondered about the food processor too, but can't imagine what
    difference it would make vs. chopping it all by hand.

    Ariane

    Report
  8. Ariane Jenkins
    Archived post
    #8
    Victor Sack said:


    It seems that under acidic conditions garlic can sometimes turn green,
    which is harmless. See, for example,
    <http://www.apinchof.com/garlicqanda.htm>.

    At <http://www.foodsafetycentre.com.au/factsheets/oilvine.htm> you will
    also find the following:
    <quote>
    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.
    </quote>

    I don't know why your recipe once tasted off.

    Thanks, Victor. After going to the store and buying more onions, I
    tried again--this time, not sauteeing the ginger and garlic with the
    onions until after they'd caramelized. No green this time, and it
    smells/looks the way it should. It's still too hot to taste test,
    unfortunately. 🙂

    We'll have it for dinner later this week.

    Ariane
    --
    Dysfunction: The only consistent feature of all your dissatisfying
    relationships is you.
    http://www.despair.com/demotivators/dysfunction.html

    Report
  9. Ariane Jenkins
    Archived post
    #9
    Victor Sack said:


    It seems that under acidic conditions garlic can sometimes turn green,
    which is harmless. See, for example,
    <http://www.apinchof.com/garlicqanda.htm>.

    At <http://www.foodsafetycentre.com.au/factsheets/oilvine.htm> you will
    also find the following:
    <quote>
    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.
    </quote>

    I don't know why your recipe once tasted off.

    Thanks, Victor. After going to the store and buying more onions, I
    tried again--this time, not sauteeing the ginger and garlic with the
    onions until after they'd caramelized. No green this time, and it
    smells/looks the way it should. It's still too hot to taste test,
    unfortunately. 🙂

    We'll have it for dinner later this week.

    Ariane
    --
    Dysfunction: The only consistent feature of all your dissatisfying
    relationships is you.
    http://www.despair.com/demotivators/dysfunction.html

    Report

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