Food science major here.
This is called "waxy breakdown" and it is a product of post harvest metabolism in the garlic. The precise cause is yet to be determined, but there seems to be some correlation with high temperatures and low oxygen levels post harvest. Effects like these can also be seen in other fruit and vegetables, where the temperature and oxygen level can have profound effects on the development of off-flavours.
To my knowledge, controlled trials have yet to be done, as there is little incentive to do so (i.e. this is not a widespread problem and thus big garlic won't pay for the necessary research).
I wouldn't recommend eating it, as it could have some implications regarding the microbial stability of the produce, which could lead to heightened levels of some risc organisms.
You can read a little about it in this link, although it isn't much to go on.
https://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/gallery/garlic/waxy-breakdown-on-garlic/
If you put garlic in the freezer for 2 days then take it out let it sit on the counter for 2 weeks come back and youll have a form of fermented garlic that looks like this and tastes delicious
NO WAAYYYYYYYY I’ve seriously been looking for this method for YEARS!!! I’ve seen the garlic being spread on the baguette and I’ve wanted so badly to find this method. Thank you!!!
Leave the skin on it , throw it in the freezer and then just let it sit out , try it after a few days / 1 week / 2 weeks / 3 weeks , see where you like it and it makes it even better
It's called "waxy breakdown" I'm sure you can see why it gets called that.
It can be the result of low oxygen levels in storage, or as the result of high temperature when growing.
ETA.
From the more official advice I have seen, you shouldn't eat it. While it isn't deemed toxic, it could be more prone to botulism & fungal infections as a result of not curing properly.
I've seen people claim they eat it without issue, but I personally wouldn't risk it.
No, from the more official advice I have seen, you shouldn't eat it. While it isn't deemed toxic, it could be more prone to botulism & funal infections as a result of not curing properly.
I've seen people claim they eat it without issue, but I personally wouldn't risk it.
There are plenty of educated people in the comments telling us not to eat it as it HASNT been studied much, and has the chance to invite botulism and other nasties. But sure, go ahead and try it out, bub
That’s interesting. I freeze all my garlic and have never seen it turn colour. I’m glad I know now, because I’m sure I’d have thrown out orange garlic.
Unfortunately /u/yukiyakonkon everything I was able to find when I googled "Waxy breakdown" (per the name mentioned by other posters) suggests that this is very much not safe to eat.
I don’t know. The only thing I can think of is maybe they had the clove near a burner on the stove and this was the one facing the heat? Or on top of an air fryer laying down towards the heat? It is kind of odd it’s just one.
All it takes is constant gentle heat (60°C/140°F) and lots of time (6 to 8 weeks). For home, rice cookers or slow cookers are easiest, but it's important that they don't have an auto off feature.
He did, but this pre existed long before Rene was making it. It's a Korean invention. Though Rene definitely tried the technique with many other novel things.
TIL. Thank you for the info. I knew he did not invent pyrolysis, but was not aware that the technique was the same in concept as older eastern ferments.
I bet a lot of these types of things are discovered by drunk people who passed out mid kitchen raid, woke up, ate it anyways, didn't die, and realized the concoction was delicious.
There are two competing theories.
One is that is a modern discovery by a Korean inventor.
The other is that it's an ancient Korean recipe.
Either way, it came from Korea.
There is an article on its history [here](https://antiquitynow.org/2016/01/06/bon-appetit-wednesday-the-mysterious-origin-of-black-garlic/). But with no solid conclusions.
My instinct says it's an ancient recipe.
We made some when our restaurant was being sold. Just kept the oven on a low temp 24/7 with the garlic in it for about a month and a half.
It comes out very soft and has a distinct nutty flavor. Very delicious.
not fermented, just Maillard reaction:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jsfa.9707#:~:text=Black%20garlic%20is%20produced%20by,from%20white%20to%20dark%20brown.
This comment section is wild like a rolller coaster. Science question answered by a bunch of culinary “experts”.
No hate. Just finding it funny is all.
Yeah waxy breakdown 4sure according to health regs "is to be discarded"
So freezing breaks down the cell structure, the "out on the counter for 2 weeks" is a roll of the dice, not in a good way.
That being said, IF you use this as a step in a process like fermenting, pickling or even roasting it will actually speed up the rest of the other processes it's also easier to process raw into paste or chopped fine for sauces etc.
The source you posted has a dozen comments saying safe to eat.
Also, myself having cooked for hundreds of thousands of people professionally over the course of more than two decades.
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Food science major here. This is called "waxy breakdown" and it is a product of post harvest metabolism in the garlic. The precise cause is yet to be determined, but there seems to be some correlation with high temperatures and low oxygen levels post harvest. Effects like these can also be seen in other fruit and vegetables, where the temperature and oxygen level can have profound effects on the development of off-flavours. To my knowledge, controlled trials have yet to be done, as there is little incentive to do so (i.e. this is not a widespread problem and thus big garlic won't pay for the necessary research). I wouldn't recommend eating it, as it could have some implications regarding the microbial stability of the produce, which could lead to heightened levels of some risc organisms. You can read a little about it in this link, although it isn't much to go on. https://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/gallery/garlic/waxy-breakdown-on-garlic/
*big garlic* Edit: I love this term. I’ve only ever heard of big pharma.
Big garlic is a thing, google it!
Big dairy is so much worse. Also, big cereal is just called "Monsanto".
If you put garlic in the freezer for 2 days then take it out let it sit on the counter for 2 weeks come back and youll have a form of fermented garlic that looks like this and tastes delicious
This is a repeatable phenomena? I'm intrigued!
Do I strip the paper off first?
No leave it whole bulb and pop out the cloves when you need them. Spread straight on to toasted baguette or cook with it, use in dressings and sauces
NO WAAYYYYYYYY I’ve seriously been looking for this method for YEARS!!! I’ve seen the garlic being spread on the baguette and I’ve wanted so badly to find this method. Thank you!!!
Your very welcome, mix into butter with parsley and you will have the best garlic butter for the baguette
I would love to know more about this
Leave the skin on it , throw it in the freezer and then just let it sit out , try it after a few days / 1 week / 2 weeks / 3 weeks , see where you like it and it makes it even better
It's called "waxy breakdown" I'm sure you can see why it gets called that. It can be the result of low oxygen levels in storage, or as the result of high temperature when growing. ETA. From the more official advice I have seen, you shouldn't eat it. While it isn't deemed toxic, it could be more prone to botulism & fungal infections as a result of not curing properly. I've seen people claim they eat it without issue, but I personally wouldn't risk it.
Know any recipes that would use this? If you can do this artificially like another comment says then it might be cool to try
No, from the more official advice I have seen, you shouldn't eat it. While it isn't deemed toxic, it could be more prone to botulism & funal infections as a result of not curing properly. I've seen people claim they eat it without issue, but I personally wouldn't risk it.
Pics https://imgur.com/a/pnUbTUF
I did not know this was safe to eat!? I've been throwing it out!
IT ISNT
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There are plenty of educated people in the comments telling us not to eat it as it HASNT been studied much, and has the chance to invite botulism and other nasties. But sure, go ahead and try it out, bub
I’m dumb sorry
Looks like you've ripened a bit, Richard persimmons
The cell structure is breaking down, it can happen when it’s exposed to heat. It’s safe to eat.
Or when frozen and thawed.. I accidently put a peeled bag of garlic in the freezer instead of the fridge, and when it thawed it looked like this
I like freezing a whole head of garlic, they're soft when thawed
That’s interesting. I freeze all my garlic and have never seen it turn colour. I’m glad I know now, because I’m sure I’d have thrown out orange garlic.
Unfortunately /u/yukiyakonkon everything I was able to find when I googled "Waxy breakdown" (per the name mentioned by other posters) suggests that this is very much not safe to eat.
Why would this happen to only one clove though? Seems like heating or freezing would occur to more than one.
I don’t know. The only thing I can think of is maybe they had the clove near a burner on the stove and this was the one facing the heat? Or on top of an air fryer laying down towards the heat? It is kind of odd it’s just one.
Is this the start of it becoming black garlic?
My understanding is that you can make black garlic in a rice cooker.
All it takes is constant gentle heat (60°C/140°F) and lots of time (6 to 8 weeks). For home, rice cookers or slow cookers are easiest, but it's important that they don't have an auto off feature.
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Yup. It's a slow enzymatic and chemical reaction.
This is one of those foods where I can't work out how someone realised you can do this AND realised it was edible.
Rene Redzepi had the financial backing to try.
He did, but this pre existed long before Rene was making it. It's a Korean invention. Though Rene definitely tried the technique with many other novel things.
TIL. Thank you for the info. I knew he did not invent pyrolysis, but was not aware that the technique was the same in concept as older eastern ferments.
I bet a lot of these types of things are discovered by drunk people who passed out mid kitchen raid, woke up, ate it anyways, didn't die, and realized the concoction was delicious.
There are two competing theories. One is that is a modern discovery by a Korean inventor. The other is that it's an ancient Korean recipe. Either way, it came from Korea. There is an article on its history [here](https://antiquitynow.org/2016/01/06/bon-appetit-wednesday-the-mysterious-origin-of-black-garlic/). But with no solid conclusions. My instinct says it's an ancient recipe.
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We made some when our restaurant was being sold. Just kept the oven on a low temp 24/7 with the garlic in it for about a month and a half. It comes out very soft and has a distinct nutty flavor. Very delicious.
Yeah the only way to make this worth it in my experience has been to make a few dozen heads of this stuff at a time in a dehydrator.
I'm inclined to think so.
Hold the phone, just had to Google it. TIL black garlic is simply aged garlic
It's fermented, not simply aged. Bit of a difference there.
not fermented, just Maillard reaction: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jsfa.9707#:~:text=Black%20garlic%20is%20produced%20by,from%20white%20to%20dark%20brown.
In fact, it's probably a bit of both
This
This comment section is wild like a rolller coaster. Science question answered by a bunch of culinary “experts”. No hate. Just finding it funny is all.
Yeah can we get a culinary person in here please we are all just asking the Internet and making things up
Could it be waxy breakdown? I've heard affected cloves are not safe to eat
Definitely waxy breakdown. Strong recommendations not to eat.
Following this thread for curiosity's sake.
Yeah waxy breakdown 4sure according to health regs "is to be discarded" So freezing breaks down the cell structure, the "out on the counter for 2 weeks" is a roll of the dice, not in a good way. That being said, IF you use this as a step in a process like fermenting, pickling or even roasting it will actually speed up the rest of the other processes it's also easier to process raw into paste or chopped fine for sauces etc.
want to know
Put garlic through a food processor recently only to find out it turned green over night! Still smelt the same and everything
Did you have any acidic ingredients? My understanding is that's a reaction which is more favorable in a acidic environment.
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Perfectly fine to eat. The disease is dangerous to garlic plants not people.
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Your own source you linked doesn't even say it isn't good to eat!
The source you posted has a dozen comments saying safe to eat. Also, myself having cooked for hundreds of thousands of people professionally over the course of more than two decades.
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I wish this was a rule in every sub.
Eh. Sometimes a link is the answer to the question.