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fermenting Garlic and Shallot mash

Heisenberg

Heisenberg

So last night I started a jar of garlic and a jar of shallot mash.  It pretty much consisted of a lot of tedious cutting/peeling, a lot of patience, and a little bit of crying.  Shredded them up in the food processor as Im a firm believer of smaller pieces leading to a quicker and more aggressive ferment.  If you increase the surface area for the lacto to feed on, then the CO2 and lactic acid should build quicker, leading to a lower pH and anaerobic conditions faster....keeping the nasties out.  This time I went with L acidophilus probiotic supplement pills crushed up as my starter.  Last ferment I had used whey, and although it seemed to work well in a few of my jars, a couple others didnt take hold for whatever reason.
 
So threw the shredded veggies in a mason jar, along with 1 crushed lacto pill in each jar, a few inches of 3.6% brine, seal and shake. 
 
Here's the starting product.
 
newmash_zpse6d23bda.jpg

 
 
After only 15 hours, the bubbles have started.
 
bubbles_zps79ab13bc.jpg

 
 
Ive read in several places that fermenting garlic can turn blue or green.  Ive also read conflicting reasons as to why this happens.  Some say its minerals in the water used.  Others say its a natural reaction with the amino acids and enzymes.  No matter what it is, they all say its fairly common, and completely harmless.  I knew this going in, but I never expected such a quick and intense color change.
 
garlic_zpsf85b23cc.jpg

 
 
So into the incubator box they go....will post updates along the way.
 
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According to the Penn State Extension:
 
The blue or green color that you see is caused by an enzymatic reaction and is perfectly harmless. Natural sulfur containing compounds in onion and garlic breakdown quickly when exposed to oxygen to give us the typical pungent flavors we associate with these foods. These react in an acid environment with natural amino acids to form the harmless colored pigments you see.
The age of the garlic may have something to do with the reaction. Some have found that storing the bulbs for 2-4 weeks at 70°F will decrease the likelihood for this color to form. Some have also suggested blanching the individual cloves in boiling water for a minute to inactivate the enzyme. This may have an affect on the flavor though.
Garlic and onions can also turn green if stored in the light for too long. This time the color is the result of chlorophyll formation. Chlorophyll is harmless, but bitter flavors may accompany the color change. So store all your onions and garlic away from the light.
 
Mine wasn't quite that drastic of a change but I think that it was partly due to the Celeriac that was in the mash. It gave the mash a kind of milky look and I think kept it more of a pale white color.
 
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RocketMan said:
According to the Penn State Extension:
 
The blue or green color that you see is caused by an enzymatic reaction and is perfectly harmless. Natural sulfur containing compounds in onion and garlic breakdown quickly when exposed to oxygen to give us the typical pungent flavors we associate with these foods. These react in an acid environment with natural amino acids to form the harmless colored pigments you see.
The age of the garlic may have something to do with the reaction. Some have found that storing the bulbs for 2-4 weeks at 70°F will decrease the likelihood for this color to form. Some have also suggested blanching the individual cloves in boiling water for a minute to inactivate the enzyme. This may have an affect on the flavor though.
Garlic and onions can also turn green if stored in the light for too long. This time the color is the result of chlorophyll formation. Chlorophyll is harmless, but bitter flavors may accompany the color change. So store all your onions and garlic away from the light.
 
Mine wasn't quite that drastic of a change but I think that it was partly due to the Celeriac that was in the mash. It gave the mash a kind of milky look and I think kept it more of a pale white color.
Click to expand...
 
This is some good info right here, makes sense.  And ya know, I think I actually like the fact that its green.  That how to peel garlic link is awesome by the way, took me forever.
 
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No real timeline, I just take one of the pills, crush it up with a spoon, and add it to my mason jar of chopped peppers/brine, and give it a good mix.  I did play around a bit with incubating the powder in a slight nutrient supplement to get it going quicker, but the difference was nominal.  Just adding the crushed pill at the beginning with everything works fine for me....all except when I did the jar of garlic described in this thread.  The garlic just refused to ferment, antimicrobial activity of garlic or whatever.
 
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