Slimy scallions -- what's the cause?

[JAZ]

Last week we bought a bunch of scallions at our usual market. They were slightly larger than usual, but otherwise looked normal. But when I sliced them, they were filled with a slimy residue. At first I just thought it was the membranes between the layers, which can be a bit slimy. But this was something else entirely -- more like okra slime. It was especially pronounced in the greens; when sliced, the greens were hollow as usual but filled with this colorless slimy goo. Has anyone else run across this or heard of it? What's up with the slime? (The next bunch we bought was fine.)

[Lisa Shock]

Might have been caused by an accidental freezing.

[Beebs]

Yes, I've had the same happen - larger, older scallions with some goop mostly in the green parts. Less goop (if any) in smaller, younger scallions. I've just assumed it was natural plant goop, sort of like aloe vera leaves.

[Chris Amirault]

Might have been caused by an accidental freezing.

Lisa, what makes you say that? I would think that the cell walls would break down but release a more non-viscous liquid, as so often happens when you defrost frozen stuff....

[GlorifiedRice]

Watch that video, it shows her removing that gel from inside the scallions

[Lisa Shock]

Might have been caused by an accidental freezing.

Lisa, what makes you say that? I would think that the cell walls would break down but release a more non-viscous liquid, as so often happens when you defrost frozen stuff....

Growing up, we had a big garden and sometimes things would get a touch of frost and have weird textures and ooze odd things. I should have been clearer, yes, actually being hard frozen through would have resulted in a limp slimy plant and a bunch of excess water. But, sometimes, just a little frost or cooling to just above freezing does odd things to plants.

[Chris Amirault]

Ah: a quick frost, not a multiweek deep freeze. That makes sense, especially when you think about a grocer confronting the loss of perishable stock and tossing them into the freezer to "freshen them up"....

[rotuts]

you also get this if you keep fresh scallions w the root on in water on the counter, I use a yogurt container and buy the scallions w roots.

they last a long time that way. all you have to do is change the water every few days and rinse off the bottoms. they get a little scummy.

and after a while, they have a bit of jell in the older shoots.