Herbs and spices are the best colouring agents. They not only are healthy but also enhance the taste of a dish
The use of plants and herbs to create natural dyes has been around for many centuries. Many spices, fruits, berries and plants are known to contain staining agents that can be safely used to make a number of products. Here are a few ways in which you can make food colours from the supplies in the kitchen.
Yellow
Boil two cups of water in a pot, take it off the flame and let the water cool for about 30-60 seconds. Add small pieces of turmeric to the water until you have obtained the shade of yellow that you want. You can use a little stale turmeric instead of fresh ones to get the natural colour without the strong herbal flavour. Carrots, turmeric powder and yellow beets can also be used to get required shades of yellow and orange.
Blue
Add one to two cups of water and one cup of fresh or frozen blueberries to a pot. Allow the berries to simmer on the stove for 20-40 minutes and take it off the flame. After the liquid has cooled for about 15 minutes, pour it into a blender and pulverise the mixture for another minute. Once this process is completed use a fine mesh strainer to separate the berry particles from the liquid. For shades of blue and purple, cabbage, skin of a brinjal, black and purple grapes can also be used in various amounts (depending on how deep or light you want the shade to be).
Green
Add two cups of spinach leaves to a pot and add cold water to a level till all the leaves are soaked. Boil it for 60 seconds and then allow the water to simmer on low heat. let the water cool and then strain it through a wire mesh strainer. Kale, parsley, spinach, romaine, cucumber, bell pepper, watercress will also yield green. Boiled green veggies, using the water/juice will give a much lighter shade.
Red
Add a few beets to a pan and enough water to immerse them. The beets need not be peeled or washed before use. Simmer the beets for about 45 minutes or until they are tender enough to pierce them with a fork. Allow the water to cool. Remove the beets and use knife to peel them. Slice or chop the beets and then add them back to the boiled water. let it sit undisturbed for several hours so the water can absorb the deep, ruby colour from the beets. Pour the liquid through a mesh strainer. Combine the coloured water with two and a half teaspoons of natural white vinegar. Beets, berries, cranberries, tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, pomegranate can also be used in the same manner to yield different shades of red and pink.
The best part of all these colours is that these can be stored for a considerable period of time in an air tight glass container.