Have you ever seen ginger that was grayish-blue? While preparing my stir-fry tonight I started to peel the ginger and noticed the unusual color. I don’t know that I have ever seen this before.
So, I google “blue ginger” and sure enough Cooks Illustrated had a short article about it. Apparently, if it is stored for a long period of time in a cold environment, it becomes less acidic and this causes some of its anthocyanin pigments to change color.
Now, I usually don’t store my ginger in the refrigerator as I use it too quick. So, the small store nearby where I bought it obviously did. They sold it in a big package which is not the way I usually buy it – I just buy nice looking pieces when I need it. That’s probably why I haven’t seen this “bluish” tint before.
Good news it is safe to eat but its flavor is slightly milder. Ginger is mixed in with a lot of other ingredients in most recipes so you probably won’t notice a difference in flavor. Especially, in a spicy stir-fry!
My stir-fry with Lemon Shrimp was delicious!
Good to know! Thanks for the research. 🙂
You’re welcome – I won’t buy ginger from that store any more 🙂
I learn something new every day. 👀🍃
So did I Gail 🙂
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nope i haven’t seen blue ginger before. i think i would have thrown it out thinking it was off.
I am rather frugal and since I had a big piece of ginger it was worth it to investigate. Glad I did as I do not like to throw food out 🙂
I bought ginger a month ago (these were big roots since I could not find the small tender ones). When I peeled them, they were blue and I got concerned and threw them. Thanks for posting this information
You’re quite welcome. What you described is exactly the ginger I had. A big piece was all that was available as I too normally buy the smaller pieces. I’ve been using it and its fine – the color is just off 🙂