Why garlic darkens after canning and how to prevent it

Garlic is one of the most important ingredients added to canned food. It enhances the flavor of canned vegetables and adds a pleasant pungency to them.

However, it often happens that after preservation, garlic acquires a green hue that does not arouse appetite. FoodOboz.ua tried to find out why this happens and how to prevent it.

As it turned out, garlic contains a substance called allin, which reacts with various amino acids. As a result, ammonia, thiols, and pigments are released, which, in fact, give garlic its green color.

During long-term storage, garlic can also change its own color and become darker. This happens if the air temperature is too high. In addition, garlic can also turn green if placed in an acidic environment, which is often created during preservation.

There is an effective life hack that can help prevent or at least slow down the process of garlic discoloration. To do this, blanch the garlic cloves before putting them in a jar for future preservation.