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Loading...8 Ways to Make Organic Food Coloring
- Chaya, selected from Networx
- March 6, 2012
- 3:00 pm
- 72 comments
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Orange
Carrots are your best bet for achieving a perfectly peachy tint. Citrus may seem promising, but it doesn’t lend much color. Stick to carrots and you’re sure to be pleased. Just juice them (or buy fresh carrot juice), and don’t worry about the flavor. Carrots are naturally sweet! Itsy Bitsy Foodies offered asuper tutorial on how to make food coloring from carrots.
Yellow
For yellow you’ll need to hit the spice rack. Both saffron flowers and turmeric powder will create that sunny, summery hue. These are each intensely-colored spices, so a little goes a long way. Still, be careful, start with very small amounts, and taste as you add. I recommend these two recipes for yellow food coloring: Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy published an awesome recipe for making icing colored with saffron. Nouveau Raw published a delicious recipe for raw vegan frosting colored with turmeric. Check them out and then tell me how yellow and delicious they were.
Green
Are you forever trying to find ways of getting greens into your kids? (Or into yourself?!) Well, how about . . . spinach in the frosting! That’s right, a little spinach will work like a charm, and doesn’t impart any flavor at all (PROMISE!).
You can use juice, or you can even use the whole leaves. I recommend that you try The Edible Perspective’s recipe for Green Monster Wipped Green Frosting, which includes two cups of spinach leaves.
Another option for that emerald tone involves a “health food” supplement called chlorophyll. Liquid chlorophyll is available in most alternative markets (co-ops, Whole Foods) and is quite inexpensive. Besides it’s purported health benefits, it’s a great option for natural food coloring.
Blue and Purple
And finally, the tricky twosome. Blues and purples can be a bit harder, but they certainly are possible. Blueberries and blackberries can be used in the same process as described above (for other berries, under “Pink and Red”). But your real best bet is a totally unexpected vegetable: cabbage!
That’s right! Red cabbage can be used to make both purple and blue food coloring. For the former, cut and boil the cabbage until the water is very dark and concentrated. This will give you a pretty purple dye.
For the latter, slowly stir in baking soda, a bit at a time. It will react with the cabbage juice and produce a perfectly pretty blue hue.
And as an alternative, you can use natural food dye in a savory recipe. Remember, food dye isn’t reserved just for sweets and treats!
Remember that working with natural coloring will be different than the artificially amplified colors you’re probably used to. In general you can expect a paler, more pastel-type of result. It is best if you experiment, play around with quantities and combinations, add a little at a time, and always taste as you go. Most importantly, let your creative juices flow, and have fun with it!
Image: DIY organic juice dyes by the socially conscious and fabulous Sayward Rebhal
Sayward Rebhal writes for Networx. Get home & garden ideas like this on Networx.
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Read more: Desserts, Food, Green Kitchen Tips, dessert, DIY, food coloring, natural, organic
Chaya, selected from Networx
Networx.com empowers people to make educated, economical and Earth-friendly renovation and home repair choices. We are a community of homeowners, renters and contractors who are committed to sharing home improvement expertise and experience.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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72 comments
+ add your ownThank you for the marvelous information!
Great ideas!
Very Nice. Thank you.
Very clever. Thanks for sharing.
Great tips.Thanks for sharing
I am trying to tint dairy free soy free white chocolate I am making for my granddaughters. I reduced pomegranate juice, but knew oil and water don't mix. And guess what, it doesn't. My chocolate has little red dots in it. Would mixing the juice with almond flour fix that problem? Also where would you get beet powder?
You have to be careful with beets because if you boil them yourself DO NOT USE THE LIQUID IN THE POT! IT CONTAINS NITRATES AND IS REALLY UNHEALTHY instead make sure you juice the beets thenmselves
very interesting thank you
Got my sons Birthday this week and I decided to do a lego cake. What ??????????
Well you have to make them happy. So far so good I have a Gluten free recipe that works like a dream so thats planned for Thursday... Then I went round looking of colourings ..... I simply could not bring myself to buy what I say.... Especially when it will be children eating the cake. So with gratitude on my knees, lots of hugs for posting, I am saying a big thank you... I mean the Tumeric did it all for me. Sounds so easy and simply when you know how.
I wish I could send you some cake to say thank you.... but I do.
thanks for sharing.
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