We tested 4 natural green food paints – this is the best

In the season when the Shamrock shake Briefly seizes the menu at McDonald's and announces to the world that St. Patrick's Day is around the corner. Whether celebrates or not, many people are green: clothing, beer and especially food. On the one hand, I like to celebrate my food, especially if it means that we give vibrant colors. Of course, one way to add green with a bottle of food paint, but I was wondering I would look at different foods green without a drunk paint.

Although studies are not convincing about the health effects of synthetic food paintings, there is sufficient issue to justify the search for a plant-based alternative. Plus, I really like to play with my food. (Full publication: I jumped from my head to the trend of green juice years ago, so I am no stranger to play with dusty green plants. I admit it is a taste.

My color mixing methodology

For the experiment, I was looking for the “natural green food paint” online to find the most popular options and then selected four plant -based powders. For my first test, I mixed the solutions of 100 ml of water and a teaspoon of green powder and filled the small bottle bottles on the flange to observe their color diluted in the water. Then I made it Copycat Shamrock ShakeReplacement of green food paint on a teaspoon of all vegetable powder per cup of smoothie. I also got some standard containers of white cakes from the supermarket and mixed a teaspoon of each green product into a 100g frost. For all applications, I appreciated the detectability, taste and color of the powder. To identify the shaded shade of green green color patterns From the company that introduced me to the delicacies of the color – Crayola.

So, what makes these foods green?

While typical food paint relies on synthetic dyes such as FD & C Green No. 3 (fast green) or FD & C Blue No. 1 (brilliant blue) and FD & C Yellow 5. (Tartrazine), the green pigments of plants and algae are primarily derived from chlorophyll. In addition to chlorophyll, the blue “complementary pigment” ficocyanin is also present in some algae; This helps chlorophyll in photosynthesis and contributes to deep green.

If you use plant -based food paint in food, please note that although the color may be vivid at first, it usually fades faster than coloring synthetic foods. One of the reasons for this is that chlorophyll eventually degrades, especially when it is exposed to heat – for example, when it is placed in a cupcake dough before baking to turn them green. Therefore, we avoided the test tests. Even without heat, many natural green will slowly lose their vibrant if it is exposed to oxygen, so do not be surprised if they look a little faded overnight after sitting. But so are the flowers, right? In addition, baking science, so the effect of adding these powders to a given recipe can be dramatic and difficult to predict.

Green #1: Pandan powder

It was at first pandan (Pandanus Amaryllifolius), a shrub in the tropical areas of Southeast -zsia. Used as fresh, dried or used as extracts and adds a nice color and seductive aroma to desserts such as rice puddingTo pandanand this pandan cakesand in salty foods like Malaysian rice food greasy riceOr

Pandan Dust Water Test: When the pandanport is mixed with water, the solution was dull grass green with yellow tips – the worst pea green on the Crayola diagram. The solution was not homogeneous; The color is quickly separated, with small fibers sitting at the bottom.

Pandan Powder Shamrock Shake Test: The smoothie was only the weakest green, but the pandan's taste was nicely coupled with Milshake mint and cream.

Pandan powder frosty test: The frost was richer, but was not homogeneous and slightly too vegetable in the mouth.

Pandan Powder Conclusion: Although Pandan cannot be the perfect paint if you are looking for a lively green result, the taste of a different story. Many compare Pandan with vanilla, which makes sense that both have floral properties and are coupled with sugar, but the sweet aroma of the pandan is really similar to anything else. I will certainly use Pandan when I bake a cake next time or make ice cream.

Green #2: matcha

Matcha is a earthly tea powder made of tea companies (Camellia sinensis), shaded from direct sunlight. Matcha is traditionally served as a hot drink but icy matcha Also joyful and can be used as a aroma of powder in many desserts such as ice cream.The selected matcha was of culinary quality, for cooking or for making Latts and smoothies.

Matcha Water Test: The water solution was very opaque, with Crayola closest to willow. It had a very vegetable, slightly floral scent. He had a dirt atmosphere, at first sharp and smoother.

Matcha Shamrock Shake Body:The matcha was more visible than the pandan in the smoothie, but still faint; The taste was soft, rather aftertaste, and less noticeable than mint.

Matcha frosty test: The color was more robust in the freezing and the sugar dampened the sharpness of the tea.

MATCHA Inference: Matcha will certainly not provide the brightest green color, but for a reason iconic dessert taste. Try it when you are longing for you next time cookiesor combine with white chocolate and sift through pop-corn– the premium or ceremony matcha is at a higher price and may be richer in color, but usually for the serious drinking we explain Match guideOr

3. Green: spinach powder

The next step was every child's favorite vegetable, spinach. Of course, spinach leaves (spencen oraracea) are the component of the star in an infinite number recipeBut spinach powder is usually used as a nutritional supplement, especially in smoothies.

Spinach powder water test: After adding it to the water, this solution was dark, hunting green, completely opaque and homogeneous. The Jade Green Crayon was the closest color match I found in the Crayola Green Collection. The smell of spinach powder/water mixture was a super plant (which makes sense, right?), But it had a sweet, floral taste. Prior to that, I only mixed the spinach with other fruit and vegetable juice, so I was surprised because of its sweetness. This is not a complex taste, but certainly not offensive.

Spinach powder shamrock shake test: The smoothie was almost as green as food paint and barely detectable flavor.

Spinach powder frosty test: It was the most lively, natural -looking green in freezing, and it was only a slightly vegetal aftertaste.

Spinach powder conclusion: Spinach powder is a great option for colorful purposes. I use -e to make bread or dough? Firmly! The best news is that this dust is sweet enough to add cakes and cakes.

Green #4: Spirulina powder

Spirulina (Arthrospira Platensis) is a kind of blue-green algae grown in tropical climate in alkaline lakes. Like spinach, spirituality is usually used as a supplement in smoothies and fruit juices. I even saw that the ingredient of the cocktails is a vibrant color that is close to Crayola tropical rainforests.

Spirulina Dust Water Test: The water solution was lively and saturated. Spirulina is not merely green – the color comes from a combination of chlorophyll and fycocianin blue pigments. The vibrant color was so tempting that I forgot to drink algae, so I was shocked when my first taste with a funky oceanic aftertaste and a seafood scent to draw attention to the lake in which it grows.

Spirulina Powder Shamrock Shake Test: The smoothie was slightly blue like green and had a slightly too salty taste.

Spirulina powder frosty test: In the freezing, the Spirulina was still blue and not homogeneous, leaving dark blue spots. The ocean development and the frosty combination of sugary were not in advance. The color of the Spirulina is vivid, but I use it economically because the water flavor is not what you are looking for. Fortunately, this color is hyper -concentrated, so it goes a little far. Just a touch in a smoothie you need.

Verde judgment: The best vegetable-based green food paint

In St. Patty's Day show, spinach powder is the bright winner. When you think of Shamrock Green, that's it. Spinach was also surprisingly versatile even in sweet applications, due to its slightly sweet taste. Don't calculate Pandan or Matcha if you focus more on the taste rather than color; Both have a rich layer of flavor that works nicely in sweet preparations and deserves to be part of the culinary rotation. Finally, Spirulina's blue-green flexibility is blue, but provides the highest pigmentation and the most lively color, but its ocean properties make less natural matches in many recipes. Who knows this can result in a fun, sea-looking mayo designed as a spice of fried seafood.

2024 March