‘Garlic gems, Calcium oxalate crystals in garlic peel’ by Ulrich Vogl

  • @eatCasserole
    link
    27 months ago

    Is this what gives it the purple colouring?

    • @[email protected]OPM
      link
      fedilink
      27 months ago

      I’m fairly certain the crystals are calcium oxalate

      …showing crystals of calcium oxalate (black-edged rectangles). These crystals embedded in the cell cytoplasm are known as raphides. Calcium oxalate crystals are common in the stems and leaves of many plants; they have no known metabolic function other than to serve as a means of disposal of excess calcium in the plant. source

      Calcium oxalate can form kidney stones!

      And, also this…

      Garlic can be purple because of two reasons: it is one of the “hardneck” varieties of garlic with purple stripes or because your white garlic reacted with something acidic. Both are safe to eat and can be used in a variety of dishes. source

      So I imagine that the purple garlic comes from the variety, and not the crystals

      • @eatCasserole
        link
        17 months ago

        Interesting…I usually buy the purple garlic just because it looks cooler. Now I wanna try getting acid on some white garlic, see if I can make purple garlic!