# why do carrots turn green in my carrot cake?



## mbcakes (Apr 5, 2002)

And no it's not mold! I baked the cake and a few hours later some bits of carrot started to turn green. I've had this happen with one other recipe and although it doesn't affect the taste it is disturbing to see and I'm sure if a customer sees it they will think it's mold. Why does it happen and how do I get it to stop?


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## lotuscakestudio (Jun 28, 2001)

That is SO WEIRD. I have never seen that happen. While we're on the subject, why do bananas turn purple when I make banana cake/bread?


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## mbcakes (Apr 5, 2002)

Wow, how can you say my green carrots are weird when you have purple bananas!
I'd see a Dr about that Just in case you didn't see my other post...do you know where I can find vegan white chocolate? Purple bananas? Going to bed now so I'm sure I'll be having some strange banana & carrot technicolor dreams!


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

Ha, ha ha...really? Too much....are you two serious? I have never seen either happen. Really?


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## compassrose (Jun 1, 2001)

I don't know about the carrots (or the bananas!) though I've heard blueberries can turn green from baking soda....

however, somewhere in the long-lost mists of past posts (probably here in Pastries & Baking), there's a recipe I posted long ago for LotusCakeStudio, for vegan white chocolate. Disclaimer: I have not ever tried it.

I got it off Vegsource, from Chef Deb's board -- that site is a great resource for vegan cooking help, FYI. Bryanna Clark Grogan on the New Veggies board is really good, and Chef Deb isn't bad either.


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## mbcakes (Apr 5, 2002)

Cool! I found the recipe and I'll give it a try. Lotuscakestudio, have you tried this recipe and if so how'd it come out?

Ok so the tally is green carrots, purple bananas and green blueberries(are ya sure you didn't pick em too early). Come on Wendy, you have to have some strange food colors to add to the list? I know it's not a vegan thing!


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

well I'm a strange bird, does that count? Sorry when I look back my post looks ignorant, I didn't mean it as a poking fun. Just trying to verbalize the chuckle your guys gave me too earily in the day.


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## lotuscakestudio (Jun 28, 2001)

No, I haven't tried the vegan white chocolate yet. Been meaning to get around to that. What I meant by bananas turning purple is that some fibers get loose in the batter and those turn purple, not the whole chunk of banana. It's like sublte streaks of purple. I have seen blueberries turn green. Not so much the berry itself, but the batter around it. At least in muffin batter, which is on the yellow-ish side. And when you've got blue juice seeping into something yellow... "yellow and blue make green" comes to mind.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

All those colors are probably from all those organic and fresh fruits and vegies you use. If you use the cheapest cr-- with all the sprays and stuff, they can't turn color. Just kidding, check your pans, this happens some times in the green coated and the older aluminum pans. If you leave it to long cooling in these pans pineapple will turn purple and carrots can turn blue. dusting your vegie4s will help.


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## isaac (Jun 9, 2001)

for some reason.. i think that the discolor effect has to do something with the baking powder or baking soda. 

i would try making it again with the FRESHIEST ing. i could find.

hope this helps


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## lotuscakestudio (Jun 28, 2001)

When I worked for Fresh Fields/Whold Foods Market, we had a basic muffin mix and added whatever fruit to make the flavors. With that recipe, I saw the blueberries make it a little green and the purple thing with the bananas. Also with our blueberry scones, there was some green in there too. When I make this stuff eggless, I also notice it. Panini, does that only happen to you with aluminum pans? Because at FF, the batter never even touched the pans (which were steel anyway); they were muffins in a muffin liner. 

Isaac, whenever I have made this stuff, it's always been with fresh ingredients- flour, baking soda/powder, butter, fruit, etc. so I know that isn't it.


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

A few times in the past, I was drying bananas in a low oven, and the fibers inside did turn purple. I know what you're referring to, LCS. It doesn't happen every time, but with certain bananas it does happen. Since all I had on the bananas was sugar, I'm guessing it's a natural reaction to the heat. But why it happens only sometimes is a mystery to me.

Yes, I have seen carrots turn green in carrot cake too, but not my own. We'll get to the bottom of this!


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

You guys will kill me for this!!!

But it's non converted starch and natural tannins, most fruits and vegetables have a % of starch in them, as they ripen this converts to sugars. The tannins...you know , the little stripes you peel from a banana, the outer skin of blueberries,the sensation in your mouth when you eat a grape skin. The dryness in your mouth when you eat a starchy carrot.

Think about it, natural starch oxidises


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## shawtycat (Feb 6, 2002)

I mentioned this post to my baby sister (she's 17 and a brainiac) and she automatically said "The food is reacting with the air. Oxidation, my dear sister." Too bad she was so far away or Id smack her.  I don't know if this helps.

Edit: Oh, I didn't see that you posted this already CC. Ok guys, what CC just said. 

Jodi


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## isaac (Jun 9, 2001)

CC

thant makes a lot of since really. i never thought about that until you mentioned it.


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## athenaeus (Jul 24, 2001)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I love you panini! THIS was very refined humor!

Mouts!


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

Oxidation--It makes sense. Clearly, this wouldn't happen without the presence of O2.

BUT I have only see this change in color in the presence of HEAT as well as air.


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## shawtycat (Feb 6, 2002)

Hey Momoreg,

This is what I found from The New Complete Book of Food by Carol Ann Rinzler:

Do not slice or peel bananas until you are ready to use them. When you cut into the fruit, you tear its cell walls, releasing polyphenoloxidase, and enzyme that hastens the oxidation of phenols in the banana, producing brown pigments that darken the fruit. (page 19).

There was also something mentioned about heat and bananas. Ill come back when I find it.

Jodi


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## snakelady1 (Mar 7, 2001)

I make a cottage cheese,red onion and dill biscuit....and the red onions almost always turn bright green its too funny really


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## mbcakes (Apr 5, 2002)

Hey Jodi,

Anything in you book about my carrots???


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## bakerchik (Feb 7, 2001)

baking soda does have an effect on the color of fruits. we did an experiment to show that in one of my early baking classes. baking soda is chemically classified as a base - above 7 pH- in order to work, baking soda must be combined with an acid-below 7 pH- (high school chemistry). Too much baking soda made blueberries turn grayish-green. We then counteracted the baking soda with cream of tartar (an acid). The cream of tartar made the blueberries turn more of a magenta color. 
Any one who has some chemistry knowledge can relate the phenomena to the litmus paper test. Litmus paper is red in acid and blue in a base solution.


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## realtyche (Jan 3, 2008)

Are you using organic carrots?
Organic carrots don't have a lot of the chemicals and/or additives that normal carrots have in order to keep their colour a bright vibrant orange. Because of this, baking soda can interact with the carrot and turn them breen, especially if you add them to the wet ingredients.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

or... your carrots were completely green and they were colored by the producer with orange coloring which came off in the cooking!


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## mbcakes (Apr 5, 2002)

Sorry I never got around to posting the way to stop this....by completely cleaning the skin off the carrot this stops the whole "green" thing. Since doing this I haven't had a problem with any green carrots in my cakes. I don't remember exactly but I think its the oxidation to whatever is in the skins that causes the green?!?


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

well, the outside of root vegetables turns green from contact with the sun, like potatoes that you need to keep ion the dark. I would recommend peeling carrots anyway, it's the quickest way to clean them. They're in contact with dirt, after all.


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## mankypanx (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks for all the info. Made a wedding cake for may sister,(carrot) & everyone ask me what the green stuff was in the cake.  I was dumb-founded.  I feel  much better now.  I used 2lb.bagged carrots that i did not peal. Will make sure to peal carrots next time.


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## rexxar (Jan 22, 2010)

the red in the red onions is similar to to the chemical that pigments purple cabbage and it is sensitive to Ph and baking soda is alkiline turning it green to yellow
i assume you using baking soda since the cotage cheese is acidic

maybe this is what is going on with the odd colored veggies but i have no idea whey bannas turn purple ?!?!?!



snakelady1 said:


> I make a cottage cheese,red onion and dill biscuit....and the red onions almost always turn bright green its too funny really


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## chef virgo (Apr 12, 2011)

Eureka! So maybe if I use younger carrots there's my be less chance for turning green. I'm not averted by the color at all but my clients have asked why.


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