Do you know what that brightly colored food coloring we all grew up squirting into our icing is made from? Petroleum! That’s right. The same stuff we refine to make fuel for cars is going right into our mouths. As we are now deep into holiday cookie season, I decided to explore how to make natural food coloring at home. And I’m happy to say there are some great and fun alternatives!
What Makes Natural Food Coloring Revolutionary?
1.) No Petroleum. Petroleum is a fossil fuel and non-renewable resource. We have heard again and again now that the burning of fossil fuels is undoubtedly linked to the warming of the planet and climate change. But what’s even more shocking is that the extraction of fossil fuels and other resources is responsible for half of the world’s carbon emissions (Source). This means we are emitting half of the harmful emissions before we even burn anything. This is another great environmental reason to cut down on the plastic in your life.
2.) Health and Safety. Not surprisingly, there are potential health risks to consuming artificial colorings. Some European countries have outlawed the use of artificial coloring unless there is a warning label about the potential impacts on children and hyperactivity (Source). Some studies have linked artificial food coloring with cancer in long-term animal studies (Source).
3.) Winter Colors. It’s amazing that I was able to find so many of the colors I needed for icing in winter-harvested vegetables. I’ll be sure to do a summer series in 2020.
How to Make Natural Food Coloring
Choose the colors you’d like to have for your icing. Explore your produce section or farmers market for things that match that color. I tried to select things that were seasonally available near me, so things like raspberries and strawberries for red were out.
Once you select your produce, you can either juice these items if you have a juicer (my method), or boil them in a small bit of hot water, blend in a food processor or blender, and then strain the dye through a cheese cloth.
A word of caution: Anything vibrant enough to dye your food can also dye your counters/clothes/bowls. I have found turmeric to be especially staining. Make sure you are using cookware that is stain resistant or that you don’t mind staining.
Winter Colors
Red. I used the stem of rainbow chard and it worked like a charm. You could also try beet, but this would give a more purple/red color. I also think you could use the stems of other colors of rainbow chard for other colors. I’ve seen stems with vibrant orange, pink, and yellow colors that would be fun to try.
Green. I used spinach and it was perfect. You could also try matcha powder.
Yellow. I used turmeric powder for this, since I had it on hand. Heat on low a tiny amount of water (about 1/8 cup) and add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric. Stir until dissolved.
Blue and Purple. This is where things went a bit sideways for me. I was really excited about the colors I was able to achieve using red cabbage. I put it in the juicer and out came a beautiful purple color. Then, with the addition of a pinch of baking soda, it turned a stunning blue! Science Kitchen! But then, I noticed something terrible. The dye stunk like cabbage. I hoped it would dissipate over time or once I added it to my icing, but no luck. While it made a stunning blue icing, I couldn’t bring myself to spread it on any cookies since it continued to carry its cabbage smell into the next day.
What could be used as alternatives? It’s possible that boiling the cabbage and then blending it for juice would have tamped down the smell a bit. I think beet would make a nice red/purple color, and would also probably get a little blue with the baking soda. Radicchio might also work.
While my purple/blue was a taste fail, the chemistry experiment part was super fun. Adding acids (e.g., lemon juice or vinegar) or bases (e.g., baking soda) to foods often cause a color change, and this can be fun to try with kids.
I hope you enjoy experimenting with Natural Food Colorings in your kitchen! Happy holidays!
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