gets duller or brighter according to these
conditions, the anthocyanins change color
completely! This is why we occasionally see
red cabbage turn blue when braised,
blueberries turn green in pancakes and
muffins, and garlic turn green or blue when
pickled. (The betacyanins and betaxanthins in
beets and chard are different compounds and
somewhat more stable.)
The Enemies: Dilution, Alkalinity, and Metals
Anthocyanins and anthoxanthins are
concentrated in cell vacuoles, and sometimes
(as in purple beans and asparagus) just in a
superficial layer of cells. So when the food is
cooked and the vacuoles damaged, the
pigments escape and can become so diluted
that their color fades or disappears —
especially if they’re cooked in a pot of water.
The pigments that remain are affected by the
new chemical environment of the cooked
plant tissue. The vacuoles in which