Roasted Gaahlic

"Without garlic I simply would not care to live." - Louis Diat

I don't do well with raw garlic, I don't like the taste of it, and I don't deal too well with it internally either. But, roasted garlic is a whole different story. It's so amazing the difference in taste between raw or sauteed garilc and roasted garlic. The bite is taken out of the garlic and you are left with a sweet smooth texture. I could eat clove after clove of rasted garlic. The garlic also becomes soft and easily spreadable.

As a note, I was once cooking a meal with garlic and lemon. When I combined the garlic with the lemon juice in the pan it turned a blue color. I didn't know why, and I thought that possibly the garlic or the lemon was bad, so I tossed the whole pan and made something different. I have just found out that this is a totally natural occurance and does not effect the dish. The following is from Whats Cooking America.

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 hasn't been properly dried it can turn and iridescent blue or green color when in the presence of acid.

A reaction between garlic's natural sulfur 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

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.

Greenish-blue color changes aren't harmful and your garlic is still safe to eat. (unless you see other signs of spoilage).