How To Make Natural Food Coloring

How to make natural food coloring? The answer's easy. You can make it from scratch in
shades of pink, purple, green, and yellow, with no artificial coloring, no preservatives,
and no monumental price tag. Just fruits and vegetables.–Cara Reed

j Prep 5 M Cook 5 M l Total 10 M

Dessert American 48 teaspoons 1 kcal

INGREDIENTS 
For pink food coloring
1/4 cup 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 blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw and drain)

2 teaspoons water

For green food coloring

1 cup 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 below.

NOTES
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. [Editor’s Note: Be careful when working with turmeric as it tends to stain whatever it
comes in contact with, including countertops and wee fingers.]

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.