Has my garlic gone bad?

September 22, 2007 6:51 PM

Quick! I need some advice. My purple-stripe garlic has the normal white cloves under the, uh, papery-skin, but when I cut into the cloves near the place where they sprout, the inside is fluorescent green, in a halftone-like pattern. I've never seen before in purple-striped garlic (or any other garlic) -- although, this is only my second try with purple-striped garlic. Has the garlic gone bad? Or is it just a lot of sprouts?
posted by flibbertigibbet to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Response by poster: I should mention that the flourescent green disappears quickly as you move down the clove.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 6:54 PM on September 22, 2007

The garlic is old and has started to 'sprout'. The green part (a/k/a the "germ") is pretty bitter but it won't kill you. Either cut around it, or toss the entire head of garlic and buy yourself some new stuff.
posted by dancinglamb at 7:18 PM on September 22, 2007

Response by poster: But I've seen sprouted garlic before -- that's just one green chunk in the middle. This is like a grid of green that goes deep into the clove. It's very weird.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:35 PM on September 22, 2007

I'd love to see a picture of this!
posted by amtho at 7:43 PM on September 22, 2007

yup, this thread is useless without pics. Sorry, I initially thought sprouted as well, but grid pattern doesn't jive with that.
posted by kellyblah at 7:54 PM on September 22, 2007

I've seen this, no worry it is (I think) like a sprout coming up through the garlic. I have noticed that it is a little less "strong" more, "green" tasting, but still good.
posted by nintendo at 8:31 PM on September 22, 2007

Response by poster: I'll see if I have any garlic left from that bulb, and I'll try to post a picture. It turned out to be affected every clove from that bulb.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 8:38 PM on September 22, 2007

Response by poster: Ugh. To be affecting.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 1:44 PM on September 23, 2007