NATURAL FOOD COLORING RECIPE
Makes 1/4 cup each
For pink food coloring
1/4 cup (62 grams) canned beets, drained
1 teaspoon drained beet juice from the can
For yellow food coloring
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
For purple food coloring
1/4 cup (35 grams) blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw and drain)
2 teaspoons water
For green food coloring
1 cup (30 grams) spinach, fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw and drain)
3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
DIRECTIONS
1. Choose your color below and simply follow the instructions.
CHOOSE YOUR COLOR
Pink
In a high-speed blender or food processor, mix the beets and juice together until smooth. Strain if desired.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Add 1 teaspoon to icings, frostings, or batter for starters to impart a pink hue. Add more coloring, if necessary.
Yellow
In a small saucepan, boil the water and turmeric for 3 to 5 minutes. Allow to fully cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Turmeric can stain, so use a container you don’t mind turning yellow. Add 1 teaspoon to icings, frostings, or batter for starters to impart a yellow hue. Add more coloring, if necessary.
Purple
In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the blueberries and water together until smooth. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the skins from the mix.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Add 1 teaspoon to icings, frostings, or batter for starters to impart a purple hue. Add more coloring, if necessary.
Green
If using fresh spinach, in a small saucepan, boil the spinach in enough water to cover for 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the cooking liquid. If using frozen and thawed spinach, skip to the next step.
In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the spinach and water together until completely smooth. If the mixture clumps or stubbornly refuses to blend, add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. Strain, if desired, and let cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Add 1 teaspoon to icings, frostings or batter for starters to impart a green hue. Add more coloring, if necessary.
Post by Elize Grobbelaar
