Food coloring in all its forms can turn a simple cake into a masterpiece. The colours of food colouring are so concentrated that often a minimal amount of coloring needs to be used to create a vibrant colour palette. This means that these food colours can be stored for a long time.
The choice of food colour for cooking depends largely on what you are cooking or are preparing. For example, to make a red velvet cake instead of a pink shade, you need a high-pigment food colour. To get a true purple glaze, you need a food colour that mixes easily and maintains a uniform tone without changing the texture of the glaze. However, you do not want to sacrifice colour for taste or texture.
Types of food colouring:
While all of the food colouring will be concentrated and allow you to add a lot of beautiful colours to your kitchen creations, there are a few minor differences.
Liquid food colours: They come in small bottles and are commonly used by home cooks because they are better suited for baking and using small portions. They are inexpensive, easy to find in the supermarket, and good for brighter and less vivid colours.
Gel or paste food colouring: This form of food colouring is more popular with professional bakers who bake large portions of frosting or cakes. These food colors can produce a brighter finish than liquid food colours. You can also use a paste or gel food colouring in foods that can be dissolved and added with water, such as white chocolate.
Powdered food colouring: This is ideal for products that need to stay dry in their final form. You can use powdered food colouring in coconut flakes and sugar. It can also be used in royal icing or in chewing gum paste. The colour is not as vibrant as other species, so it is not recommended to use it with butter.
Ultimately, using food colouring when cooking or baking is a personal choice. However, with so many options on the market that will produce great results with little effort, there is no reason not to add colours to your food and enhance the taste buds.