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Using standard kitchen ingredients to make stunning natural dyes

natural-color-alternatives

A lot of people are opting out of artificial food colors for natural alternatives owing to the not so healthy side effects of the former. Artificial food colors contain a lot of chemicals in them that can lead to several food allergies and health disorders, including behavioral problems. Most of these artificial colors contain aluminum, barium and zirconium which have been related to these conditions in children as well. This would probably explain the interest in shift towards natural food colors.

What you need to know about natural food colors

Although natural food colors are considered healthier than their artificial alternatives, there are some pointers you need to consider before using them.

Natural colors are not as concentrated as artificial food colors, and therefore offer only a demure shade. Unlike artificial colors that require just a few drops to obtain a deep shade, natural colors can only provide you with a lighter shade of the same color. Adding too much would only spoil the dish altogether.

Adding too much would change the flavor

Natural food colors are obtained from vegetables and other ingredients. Hence, adding too much of them for a deeper shade would change the flavor and taste of the dish altogether.

Opt for vegetable powders for deeper shades

If you prefer deeper shades, consider using vegetable powders instead of the vegetables themselves. This will enable you to obtain the shade of your choice without overwhelming the taste.

Homemade Food Coloring Recipes you can try out

Here are some very simple homemade food coloring recipes that you can try out in your home.

For Purple Color

Chop a small red cabbage into small pieces and boil them in some water (enough to cover the cabbage in a pot). Simmer the solution for about 10 minutes and then drain it. You will get a purple colored liquid.

For Blue Color

Follow the same procedure as above until you get the purple colored liquid. Add baking soda to this liquid pinch by pinch until it reaches a beautiful blue color. Don’t add too much baking soda as it would change the taste. You can substitute baking soda with other ingredients like green tea or spinach juice, etc.

For Red or Pink Color

Beetroot can be your savior for red color. Chop some beetroot and immerse it in water. Boil the water for about 15 minutes and drain the solution to get a rich red color. Alternate the boiling time to vary the shade from pink to red. You can also substitute beetroot with other red fruits like pomegranate or raspberry. In case of the latter, you can crush the berries and pomegranate seeds in a blender and strain the mixture to extract the red juice.

For Orange Color

You can get a nice orange food color by juicing some carrots in a blender. Strain the juice with a sieve to extract the orange juice which you can then add to your dish.

For Yellow Color

The best way to achieve yellow food color is to use a pinch of turmeric or saffron. A little bit of these ingredients is enough to create a beautiful, summery hue. Too much would alter the taste of the dish.

For Green Color

You can alternate between a number of green, leafy vegetables to get a green food color for your dishes. But the best hue can be achieved with spinach. Simply grind some spinach leaves in a blender and extract its juice. You can also substitute spinach with chlorophyll for an emerald tone instead of dark green. Don’t worry about using chlorophyll as it has been tested in many food trials and has been found to be healthy enough for natural cooking purposes. It is also quite inexpensive and is usually available in many alternative markets.

Switching to natural food colors from alternative food colors can turn out to be a healthy choice for the entire family. You can make use of several vegetables and fruits to obtain a myriad of colors and hues for your dishes.

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