March’s Recipe of the Month: Natural Food Dyes

Want a truly green beer for St. Paddy’s Day this year? You’ve probably already found yourself a nice organic pint, but the green food colouring you buy from the grocery store’s baking aisle just really isn’t all that green when you look at its ingredients.

Most FD&C colours are known carcinogens, and over 90% of artificial food colourings are derived from coal tar. Instead opt for natural food colourings to truly green that beer for St. Paddy’s Day this year! Try mixing chlorella (derived from algae) or liquid chlorophyll in your organic pint for an intense green- they are both available at your local health supplement store. Or for a pint to make Popeye proud, add some juiced spinach strained though a piece of cheesecloth. Hmm, does this make beer healthy?

And to dye those Easter eggs, try the following natural spices and vegetables:

For yellow: turmeric, orange or lemon peels, ground cumin, saffron, carrot tops, chamomile tea
For orange: chili powder, cayenne, yellow onion skins, carrots, paprika
For pink: beet juice, cranberries, raspberries, juice from pickled beets, hibiscus tea
For red: annatto, red onion skins (use lots!), pomegranate juice
For purple: red cabbage leaves, grape juice, red wine
For blue: blueberries, violet blossoms
For brown: coffee, tea, dill seeds
For green: liquid chlorophyll, chlorella, spinach

What you’ll need:
Hardboiled eggs, decorated with crayons or elastic bands to create designs when dyed
An egg carton or cooling rack to let the eggs dry
White vinegar
Dyeing spice or vegetable of your choice au naturel!
A little vegetable or olive oil to polish the eggs when dry for a little sheen

Let the dyeing begin!
Depending on the ingredient, add a couple of tablespoons (spices) or a few handfuls (veggies) of your natural dyer to two cups of water and bring to a boil in a small saucepan, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until the mixture is the right colour- anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. For juices or liquid dyeing agents, omit the water. Note that the eggs will not get as dark as the mixture in the pan.

Once you’ve reached the desired colour, pour the hot dye into a liquid measuring cup, and add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar for every cup of dye. Submerge your hardboiled eggs with a slotted spoon, and remove to your drying rack once they’ve achieved the right colour- the longer you let them sit, the deeper the colour will be. The colour will rub off easily until they’ve dried, so remove with care.

For more info on food dyes, visit: www.foodadditivesworld.com