Bad pickled garlic??

[sapphirestar]

I made a recipe of Alton Brown's Kinda Sorta Sours refrigerator pickle recipe last week. I had made a batch before and liked it, so I made two more jars. This time the whole smashed garlic cloves have partially turned bright green, almost turquoise! It looks very strange and I don't know if I should even taste the pickles from the jar (haven't tasted this batch yet).

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? I haven't done much in the way of pickling before. The garlic I used for these may have been the fresher garlic from my CSA farmer (can't remember exactly which garlic I used).

Thanks for any help! Here is the recipe:

Recipe Summary
Yield: 4 servings  

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon pickling spice
4 whole garlic cloves, smashed


Combine the onion and cucumber slices in a clean spring-top jar.

Combine the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the garlic, in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the spice flavors.

Add the garlic cloves to the jar. Slowly and gently pour the pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slices, filling to the top of the jar.

Cool to room temperature. Top off the pickles with any remaining pickling liquid and refrigerate.

[sneezles]

I think there's been a thread about this before but here's some info for you:

Garlic contains sulfur compounds which may 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. Use the pickles but discard the garlic. Caution: oldtime recipes often called for the addition of copper pennies or bluestone to give pickles a vivid green color. This is not recommended because a large amount of copper is toxic. Also, garlic bulbs that have not been properly cured before marketing, or bulbs that have been refrigerated will turn green or blue-green. Storing garlic bulbs for 32 days at or above 70-80 degrees F. before use will prevent formation of green or blue-green pigments.

[sneezles]

And here's another opinion (they agree but this one has some other options as to why it turns green):

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.

If it is picked before it is fully mature and hasnt been properly dried it can turn and iridescent blue or green color when in the presence of acid.

A reaction between garlics natural sulfer content and any copper in the water or in the iron, tin or aluminum cooking utensils can sometimes change the color of garlic.

Garlic will also turn green (develop chlorophyll) if exposed to an temperature change or is exposed to sunlight. Some people say it can be stored for 32 days at or above 70 - 80° F to prevent greening (but I'm not yet sure that is true).

Other reasons to cause garlic to turn blue or green:


Are you using table salt instead of canning salt? That can cause the garlic to turn blue or green. Table salt contains iodine, which discolors whatever you're pickling. Use kosher or pickling salt.
Different varieties or growing conditions can actually produce garlic with an excess natural bluish/green pigmentation made more visible after pickling
Dont worry, greenish-blue colour changes aren't harmful and your garlic is still safe to eat. (unless you see other signs of spoilage

[sapphirestar]

Thanks, Sneezles! Phew, now I know I won't have to toss it out!

They are very good pickles, BTW. A good way to use up a surplus of cukes!