Why do sunflower seeds baked in a carrot cake turn green and walnuts turn black?

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Request for Question Clarification by answerfinder-ga on 10 Nov 2006 01:45 PST

Dear patrickbailong-ga,

You are not alone in finding this. I have identified the answer to the
sunflower seeds, but not the walnuts. Although I suspect that it is a
similar reason. Would the answer to just the sunflower seeds meet your
needs? I can also supply a carrot cake muffin recipe supplied by a
walnut marketing association. If this has the same reaction, it may be
worth contacting them to ask them.

I look forward to your response.

answerfinder-ga

Q: I just made a carrot cake and the carrots turned green. What caused
it, and is it safe to eat?

A: The reason for this discoloration is the recipe has too much baking
soda or the soda was not mixed in evenly. The color pigments in these
foods are sensitive to pH changes. When these acidic foods are mixed
into an alkaline batter, the color change occurs This can also happen
with sunflower seeds and walnuts may turn blue. While this may not
look pretty, the product is still edible.