Blueberries didn&#39;t cook up blue

Anna

@LadyDuck (502515)

• Italy

13 Jul 22

@Fleura Yes, boiling some small pieced of red cabbage in water, the water turns blue or green according to the pH. I use vegetables to make natural colors, the red cabbage is perfect to have a pale blue. A blue risotto with pink shrimps is very elegant.

6 people like this

@Fleura (35037)

• United Kingdom

13 Jul 22

@LadyDuck Oh wow that sounds amazing! I must try it sometime, although it will have to wait until the girls are away (or even grown up!) because neither of them will eat shrimps!

6 people like this

@Fleura (35037)

• United Kingdom

13 Jul 22

The cabbage is due to the change in pH, you can make an indicator from red cabbage (you probably knew that).

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M Cheung

@Beestring (15372)

• Hong Kong

13 Jul 22

I've never cooked blueberries. When I ate them, since they are small, I just put them in the mouth. Didn't notice any the white flesh as @DaddyEvil mentioned.

5 people like this

@DaddyEvil (174507)

• United States

13 Jul 22

It's easier to blend them when making smoothies with them if you cut them in half first. Otherwise, I also just pop them into my mouth whole.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

I rarely eat them as they are but they made a nice coulis.

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

@DaddyEvil That's a good idea to cut them in half first. We cooked ours then put them through a sieve.

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Judy Story

@jstory07 (148734)

• Roseburg, Oregon

13 Jul 22

The color does not matter. All that matters is how it tastes. It looks yummy.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

That's very true. We were just a bit surprised though.

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@DaddyEvil (174507)

• United States

13 Jul 22

It always surprised me that blueberries when cut in half, have white flesh. All the color comes from their skin.

5 people like this

@Fleura (35037)

• United Kingdom

13 Jul 22

I wasn't sure if I believed this (I have always just eaten them whole, or cooked from whole), but luckily we have a few in the fridge so I checked! And yes they are a pale green inside.

5 people like this

@DaddyEvil (174507)

• United States

13 Jul 22

@Fleura Hmm... so you can't tell white from green? Does that make traffic signals difficult for you?

I've never seen green flesh, but it wouldn't surprise me.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

I didn't know that - or notice it but Vince was doing the cooking. Mostly for me, it was doing dishes and finding things for him.

2 people like this

WorDazza

@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

13 Jul 22

Apoarently the pigments in blueberries are very sensitive to pH levels and turn more red as acid levels increase which they do when cooking or even just mashing them.

5 people like this

WorDazza

@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

13 Jul 22

@JudyEv The origins of the universe!! There you go, something inexplicable.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

That's interesting. There is always some logical explanation. Why can't some things just be inexplicable or magic or whatever?

3 people like this

Dawnsummer

@misunderstood_zombie (8765)

• United States

13 Jul 22

Blueberries turn my smoothies almost a purple color so I know what you mean.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

Yes, the colour was more purple than red.

2 people like this

simplyme

@m_audrey6788 (58468)

• Germany

13 Jul 22

No. I didn`t know that the blueberries will turned out reddish-purply in color. How about the taste?

2 people like this

simplyme

@m_audrey6788 (58468)

• Germany

13 Jul 22

@JudyEv That`s great. There are some who look so good but the taste is not nice

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@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

They tasted fine. We added a bit of sugar and lemon juice and the taste was really nice.

1 person likes this

Ptrikha_2

@ptrikha_2 (49753)

• India

14 Jul 22

May be the Blueberries had some special "pigment"! Or special color property! Anyways this is quite an interesting thing!

1 person likes this

Ptrikha_2

@ptrikha_2 (49753)

• India

14 Jul 22

@JudyEv Yes and it reminds me of the Blue Litmus/Red Litmus experiments during the School times!

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Ptrikha_2

@ptrikha_2 (49753)

• India

14 Jul 22

@JudyEv There were Litmus paper tests around 8th/9th class

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@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jul 22

It seems it's to do with the pH level. WorDazza and Fleur both explain it.

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Eva James

@wolfgirl569 (135791)

• Marion, Ohio

13 Jul 22

Many berries cook up a purple color.

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Eva James

@wolfgirl569 (135791)

• Marion, Ohio

14 Jul 22

@JudyEv I make a lot of jelly. And it can be a surprise of what kind we are opening when I dint mark them

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@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jul 22

I think we've only ever cooked strawberries before.

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@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jul 22

@wolfgirl569 It's like when you freeze some dishes. They look totally different once they're frozen.

1 person likes this

@Fleura (35037)

• United Kingdom

13 Jul 22

Well blueberries aren't really blue to start with, more a deep purple. I grow purple French beans, which turn green when cooked. And of course red cabbage will turn blue in tap water (due to the pH change).

3 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

I'm learning all about this pH business now. However, you and @WorDazza have taken all the romance out of cooking blueberries.

3 people like this

WorDazza

@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

13 Jul 22

@JudyEv You're in big trouble if cooking blueberries is a source of romance for you!!!

3 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

@WorDazza Maybe 'mystery' would have been a better word choice.

2 people like this

Loretta

@noni1959 (13048)

• United States

14 Jul 22

I've made sauce with blueberries and was surprised they looked purple. I guess they are called blueberries because of the color. They are one of my favorite fruits. Your dessert sounds so delicious.

1 person likes this

Loretta

@noni1959 (13048)

• United States

21 Jul 22

@JudyEv I have blueberries in the freezer and now want to get them out and fix something for dessert.

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@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

22 Jul 22

@noni1959 I'm sure they'll be yummy whatever you do to them.

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jul 22

I said the sauce was red but really it was more of a purple colour.

1 person likes this

Ruby Hawk

@RubyHawk (99367)

• Atlanta, Georgia

13 Jul 22

It does happen. Your dessert sounds delicious My blueberries always have a purplish red color when cooked.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

These were more purple than red I guess but they certainly weren't blue.

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Ruby Hawk

@RubyHawk (99367)

• Atlanta, Georgia

13 Jul 22

@JudyEv Blueberries changes colors when cooked. I haven’t seen blueberries lately. Might find some frozen.

1 person likes this

LindaOH

@LindaOHio (222417)

• United States

13 Jul 22

I'm sure at one time or another I cooked up something that came out different than I expected; but I can't think of any right now.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

I can never think of things either when people ask on here. But it's okay. It's no big deal.

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Krissttina Isobe

@oahuwriter (26773)

• United States

14 Jul 22

Not yet. I'm making blueberry pancakes tomorrow again. I out raw ones in one side of my pancakes, they cook up blue. I'll add some chia seeds & ground flaxseed in my pancake mix this time. I'm still deciding whether to add walnuts or pecans yet.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jul 22

I add walnuts to ginger biscuits (cookies) that I make. They are pretty yummy too.

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Krissttina Isobe

@oahuwriter (26773)

• United States

15 Jul 22

@JudyEv Mmm, sounds good! Nuts wonderful to add!

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Yanzalong

@yanzalong (19091)

• Indonesia

13 Jul 22

I am not sure. My wife often cooks. I will ask her and when I get the answer, I will get back here.

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Yanzalong

@yanzalong (19091)

• Indonesia

13 Jul 22

@JudyEv No. She knows I am mylotting, which she supports me.

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@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 22

It's not too important. Your wife might wonder what you are on about.

Always smiling

@allknowing (153530)

• India

14 Jul 22

I know a bit of Chemistry [i][/i]"heat breaks down the berry skin's cell walls, releasing the pigments into the pulp and turning it reddish-purple" Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking said that and I agree with him

1 person likes this

Always smiling

@allknowing (153530)

• India

14 Jul 22

@JudyEv Thank you

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@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jul 22

Well done you.

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Marsha

@MarshaMusselman (38865)

• Midland, Michigan

13 Jul 22

That color looks familiar to me. I think I've noticed that before too. Maybe the skins are blue but the flesh is more reddish making it look like that. I've never taken half a bite of a blueberry so I don't know. I usually pop the whole berry into my mouth which is probably normal.

1 person likes this

Marsha

@MarshaMusselman (38865)

• Midland, Michigan

14 Jul 22

@JudyEv I read those comments too.

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@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jul 22

Others have said that too. Apparently, the change in colour is due to the pH level which means the colour changes when heated. That's my basic understanding.

1 person likes this