Having a choice between natural and artificial dye, people give their preference to the first option. The reason for this is obvious, but if the cook can be sure of the color when using artificial dye (it is written on the packaging with the substance), then in the case of natural paint the situation is more complicated.
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The most commonly used colors are:
- white,
- red,
- brown,
- green,
- blue.
An experienced chef is able to create a wide range of colors, but a novice chef should first of all figure out how to get the main colors.
White color is obtained from chalk food powder, pre-washed chalk. Special clay is also suitable, also in the form of powder. Simpler but less quality options would be to use dairy products or sugar.
Red color can be created from Armenian clay. Sweets of red flowers and shades are obtained using juice from barberry, raspberries, lingonberries and a number of other berries. Syrups, wine and even beets will also help prepare red dye.
Those who want to get a brown color can use strong coffee or roasted sugar. It’s easy to cook it:
- A tablespoon of sand is placed in a pan.
- Sugar is cooked over high heat until brown.
- Half a cup of hot water is poured into the burnt sugar. The mixture must be mixed so that no lumps form.
- The dark solution should have a sticky consistency. It is filtered and poured into a suitable bottle.
The green color is obtained from spinach: you just need to squeeze the juice (manually or by a meat grinder), add water in a ratio of 1 to 1 and bring to a boil. If you want to give green color with jam, then it is customary to make a mixture of saffron and indigo carmine.
In ancient times, a blue dye was obtained from certain mollusks. Today, starch is dyed to create a blue color: both indigo and indigo carmine are used, forming a solution that resembles the sky in color.
To prepare most of the dyes, a novice cook may need to make a lot of effort, but the end result will pay off. Natural dyes will not harm the body, as they do not contain chemical constituents.