Take the Organic Route and Make Your Own Food Colors Naturally!

Many food colorings approved by the U.S. are actually banned in other countries. A few cases in point: A known carcinogen, FD&C Red No.40 is banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Norway. FD&C Yellow No.5 is banned in Austria and Norway, since it's linked to asthma attacks and thyroid tumors.

Red No. 5 was banned for a very long time because it was suspected that it made children hyper; other colors have been banned after many years on the market because they were found to be carcinogenic. But probably the entire group of certified food colors used today should be banned; because they all belong to a class of chemicals called "polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons," and many studies suggest that they, too, are carcinogens. These chemicals add nothing to the value of our foods, but rather may cause a surprising number of disorders, including asthma and adhd, as well as others.

New studies now point to synthetic preservatives and artificial coloring agents as aggravating ADD & ADHD symptoms, both in those affected by these disorders and in the general population. Several major studies show academic performance increased and disciplinary problems decreased in large non-ADD student populations when artificial ingredients, including artificial colors were eliminated from school food programs.

Here are the all natural ingredients you need to to make your own food coloring!!

Black: Squid Ink makes a rich deep black also black walnut shells can be boiled down to a rich black.

Brown: Coffee or Cocoa Beans can be boiled down to a rich brown color

Red : Beets, Strawberries, pomegranates, red currants, black cherry bark, and cranberries all can be boiled down to a deep red.

Red/Orange: Paprika produces a lovely shade of reddish orange; also lycopene (tomatoes) produces a deep red orange color.

Orange: Carrots, Sweet potatoes and Annatto Root produces a shade of bright orange.

Yellow: Turmeric produces a very bright yellow; also saffron produces a yellow not as bright as turmeric but still a true yellow (I would say a sunflower yellow)

Blue: blueberries

Blue / purple : purple grape juice, blackberries, and prunes all produce a lovely shade of purple.

Green: spinach produces a deep green.

The basic recipe for all of them is this: use 2 parts water to one part herb or fruit. Boil on high uncovered, then let it simmer on medium high for 45 minutes to an hour or until the mixture is thick. Then strain the mixture through cheesecloth, and boil the liquid again on medium high for another 20-30 minutes for deep truest colors. Basically you will start off will lets say 4 cups water and you will reduce it down to about ½ cup of liquid.

Then to store it simply fill a small bottle with a dropper and let cool in fridge. You can find little bottles with droppers at any natural food store, and keep in the fridge it will last up to 6 months.

There you have all natural, no preservative, no additive, food colors!