Blue is a rare colour in nature. Even more so in food.

Blue garlic is a fascinating process that alters the structure of garlic at the fundamental level, causing it to turn blue/green as an often unnerving result of fermentation. But it’s still perfectly safe, and often makes quite a statement in a dish, resembling beautiful blue gems.

To make it on purpose, I’ve found that the older the garlic is, the more it seems to turn blue when exposed to an acidic environment like pickling in vinegar or lacto fermented. By old, I mean garlic that’s been harvested and cured (as you’d find it in a shop) and then not used for at least 6-8 months. But this is just what I’ve observed, though I can’t find any studies backing this up.

So next to you make sauerkraut, suan cai, kimchi, or pickles, and you notice that odd greeny blue colour, don’t panic. You’ve just accidentally rearranged the molecules of garlic in the most delicious way.

If you’re interested to learn more about fermentation, follow along for free tips and techniques, and browse back through my posts that I’ve been sharing for nearly 2 years now on Substack, exploring recipes from all over the world, using seasonal, (mostly) homegrown ingredients.

#fermentation #lactofermentation #garlic