Having a choice between natural and artificial dye, people give their preference to the first option. The reason for this is obvious, but if, when using an artificial dye, the chef can be confident in the color (it is written on the package with the substance), then in the case of natural dye, the situation is more complicated.
The most commonly used colors are:
- white,
- red,
- brown,
- green,
- blue.
An experienced chef can create a wide range of colors, but a novice chef should first figure out how to get the primary 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 lower quality options would be to use dairy products or sugar.
Red can be created from Armenian clay. The sweets of red flowers and shades are obtained by using juice from barberry, raspberry, lingonberry and a number of other berries. Syrups, wine, and even beets will also help make red dye.
For those wishing to get a brown color, infused strong coffee or burnt sugar is suitable. It is not difficult to prepare it:
- A tablespoon of sand is placed in a frying pan.
- Sugar is cooked over high heat until brown.
- Half a glass of hot water is poured into burnt sugar. The mixture must be stirred so that no lumps form.
- The dark solution should be sticky. It is filtered and poured into a suitable bottle.
The green color is obtained from spinach: you just need to squeeze the juice (by hand or with a meat grinder), add water in a 1 to 1 ratio and bring to a boil. If you need to give a green color to jam, it is customary to make a mixture of saffron and indigo carmine.
In ancient times, blue dye was obtained from certain shellfish. Today, starch is dyed to create a blue color: both indigo and indigo carmine are used, which forms a solution that resembles the sky in color.
Most dyes can take a lot of work for a novice chef, but the end result will pay off. Natural dyes will not harm the body, as they do not contain any chemical constituents.
