Best Veggies and Fruits to Make Food Coloring with!

Using fruits and veggies as food coloring is a brilliant idea. Not only does it taste better, but it is so much healthier for you! There are so many harsh chemicals in artificial dye. In some cases you can even taste the metallic and color in some of the foods. Some countries around the world have even banned and outlawed certain colors because of how bad they are for the human body.

As a person who is allergic to red 40 and a few other artificial food dies, I have experimented and tried a bunch of different ways to make homemade and fresh food coloring. I absolutely love it. It has even helped me to start gardening so I have fresh veggies, fruit and plants to use!

Below are a few of my favorites to use for certain colors. Some colors are harder to get, and you will have to experiment when it comes to getting the color you want, but just know it can be done, and you can find cool colors along the way! Everything below can either be turned into a liquid/juice or ground into a powder to be used for a healthy food coloring!

If you are using the coloring right away then liquid/juice coloring is the way to go! If you are thinking of making some to save for later, I would recommend turning what you are using into powder. Powder versions last a bit longer than the liquid does. If you do turn things into powder and it loses its color do not use it.

Red -

• Red Beets
• Strawberries (these will produce a lighter red)
• Red bell peppers
• Cherries (these will produce a lighter red depending on the cherries)
• Red onion skins
• Pomegranate (I love this one, but I also love pomegranate so I am a bit bias, but I do love the color pomegranates give off.)
• Tomatoes (Have only used this one once, but the color is nice)
• Dried hibiscus flowers
• Paprika (good for reds and oranges)

Orange -

• Sweet potatoes
• Carrots
• Red + Golden beets
• Orange peels
• Pumpkin
• Paprika (good for reds and oranges)

Yellow -

• Turmeric
• Lemon peels
• Saffron
• Yellow bell peppers
• Bay leaves
• Celery

Green -

• Matcha
• Spinach
• Green tea leaves
• Parsley
• Wheat grass
• Spirulina
• Liquid chlorophyll

Purple -

• Blueberries
• Blackberries(creates a lavender-ish color)
• Purple sweet potatoes
• Purple carrots
• Elderberries
• Purple grapes (the darker the better for the grapes)
• Mulberries

Pink -

• Raspberries
• Red beets
• Cherries
• Roses
• Strawberries

Blue -

Blue is harder color to achieve but it can be done! I am still experimenting with different things for blue!

• Red Cabbage Juice
• Most purple dyes + some baking soda.

Brown -

• Espresso
• Tea
• Coco

Black -

• Black espresso
• Activated charcoal powder

I have heard some people who complain because they don't think that natural food color can be as vibrant and beautiful, but I would have to say they are wrong (in my opinion).

Yes, it is harder to get that bright blue, or neon green, but there are plenty of ways to make beautiful natural colors, in lots of different shades.

Remember - That since you are using veggies and fruits the flavor will be slightly different with each thing you use. Just experiment to find out what flavor best fits! I've never found the flavor to most of these things to be overwhelming. But, if your making a cake, beets or strawberries would probably be better to use for the dye than red bell peppers and tomatoes.

You will also have to experiment to find what fruit, veggie or plant best fits your coloring needs. Don't be afraid to mix a few things together to get a different colors or shades. I will say you should mix sweet things with sweet, it will help with taste. However, most of these don't have to much of an overpowering taste, so if you want to go crazy, go for it! I bet it will turn out great, and if not it will be a fun to try!