As I mentioned in the Jack-o-Lantern post, I use Seelect natural food coloring for all of my special baking projects. I was so thrilled to find these food colorings. Before I found them I was trying to make my own food coloring, which was fun, but time consuming. For instance, I boiled beets to get a red liquid which, when mixed with my cream cheese frosting, created a nice pink color for Valentine's Day cookies.
I do need to say that if you're expecting natural food coloring to work the same way artificial food coloring works, you will be disappointed. The colors are definitely not as bright, and they don't mix with each other the way the artificial ones do. If you try to mix natural blue and natural yellow, you won't get green. Trust me, I've tried!
But if you are looking for a healthy alternative to artificial food coloring, and are open to a more natural look on your baked goods, you will be very pleased. I've frosted lots of cakes, cupcakes and cookies with natural colors, and they look great and bring joy to my boys' faces, which is what matters most to me. Plus, I know I'm not feeding them chemicals in their birthday desserts!
In my experience, the best Seelect colors are Yellow, Orange, and Red/Blue. I have tried the Blue, but it has always looked like a very dull purple for me. The Red/Strawberry has also turned out too dull for me, looking like a light brownish pink. Yellow is very true yellow and works great. Orange is also very true and I use it a lot in the fall for all my pumpkin-y treats. The Red/Blue doesn't end up looking red, but it does create a pretty darkish, bright purple color (I've found that this one looks prettier if the frosting sits in the fridge overnight). I have yet to try Brown and Red/Pink, but am curious about how they would work. I haven't found a good Green either, though I've tried by boiling spinach and other veggies! Still working on that one...
Over the next couple of months I'll be posting pictures and recipes for a few of the natural food coloring creations that I've done for my boys' birthdays and for other holiday celebrations, so be sure to check back!
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9 comments:
I like the look of natural better. Its prettier.
so there is no way to make a green? thanks for all this info - i love your blog! :)
I've seen this green, but have never tried it.
Thanks for reading the blog. I'm so glad you enjoy it!
is there any way to get a true blue?
I haven't gotten a true blue. It's a hard one because blueberries create more of a purplish color.
Have you tried the red/pink yet?
I need to make Pinkalicious Cupcakes and I am unsure which one to buy, Red Strawberry or Red/Pink. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Hi, Chloe's Mom!
I haven't tried Red/Pink yet, but it looks like one of their newer ones. I think their newer ones are improved colors. I read that the Red/Pink is from 100% beets so I bet it's beautiful! I'm happy with their new green color, so I would think the new pink color is nice too. If I were you I'd try the Red/Pink. Good luck with your Pinkalicious Cupcakes. They sound great! Send me a picture when you're done!
--Kelly
Hi--boy was I excited to find your blog! I love to bake and am always seeking good natural colors (no chemicals in my house!). I was at their website (Seelect) and got confused--there seems to be an oil derived series, and a regular old "natural" series. Can you be super specific about which colors you've used if you have a moment?
Hi, Sometimes Y!
Thanks for your question. I have used the older "natural" series but have not tried the oil-based food colorings. If you try the oil-based ones, be sure to come back here and let me know how they work!
I have used Forest Green, Orange, Red Strawberry, Red Blue (I don't recommend this one), and Yellow, from the original "natural" series.
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