October 03, 2016

If you’ve never used natural colors before, you may be wondering how they compare to artificial colors, or how much color you should use. You might want to know what you should expect the finished product to look like, and what does it taste like.

It’s really easy to remember how much color to use. That’s because our colors are packaged in single use packets. Simply mix the entire contents of one packet of color with one pound of frosting. That will frost one cake or about 24 cupcakes. That’s it – one packet equals one pound of frosting. There are no preservatives in our natural colors, so when you open a packet, you have to use the entire contents. And you should use it immediately. Our Color Garden packers are like bananas – once opened, they turn brown if you don’t use them right away.

 

Here are some things to remember when working with natural colors that will help you achieve the best results.

 

  • All Natural means always fresh. Since natural colors will begin to breakdown when exposed to air (oxidize), each packet is a single serving individually sealed to maximize freshness from the moment it is opened.
  • Use the entire packet for best results. Each packet will color approximately 1 lb. of icing. The entire pouch of color is needed to color the frosting as intended, and more color is needed than compared to artificial. It is also recommended to use the entire pouch of color to prevent any excess color from oxidizing.
  • Color Garden colors are liquid colors. You may find that you want to add more than one color packet to achieve a brighter color. Since you are adding liquid to your icing recipe you may need to add more of the dry ingredients of your favorite icing recipe, if the addition of extra color thins out the icing too much. We included a recipe guide in your box to help achieve the most desired consistency and taste.
  • Adding Lemon Juice or Baking Soda to help achieve proper color. Warm colors (orange and yellow) prefer an acidic environment.  Sometimes adding a little bit of lemon juice will help brighten the colors in your icing.  Works great in lemon icing where yellow color is perfect. Cool colors green, blue and purple prefer an alkaline environment.  Sometimes adding a little bit of baking soda can help brighten up the cooler colors.
  • Have Fun! Not only do our colors work great in icing and frosting for all of your tasty desserts, they also will work in coloring other things like mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese for special colorful occasions. Color Garden also works great in play dough and coloring your favorite beverage and Easter Eggs. 

 

So what will the finished product look like? The colors in the finished product will look slightly more muted than their artificial counterparts. The reds and blues aren’t as intense. This is normal for 100% plant-based colors. There is no difference in taste between natural and artificial colors. And our natural colors will not add any calories.

 

There’s a lot more information about working with natural colors on our FAQ’s page. And, you can always contact us if you still have questions.