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Red Food Dye


Safe Red Food Dyes for Valentine’s Day Baking

My daughter, for one, used to get very high on her horse (read belligerent and very cranky), after she would eat food which contained artificial food dyes.

Fortunately, as she has gotten older, this has been less and less of a problem for us. However, young children are especially vulnerable to chemicals that affect the central nervous system, and it is no joke that one by one, the artificial dyes are taken off the market as they are discovered to cause cancer or be highly neurotoxic!

Here is how I safely dye my Valentine cookies and cupcake frosting red!

Simply take any of the juice of red fruits and vegetables that stain clothing, such as that from beets, strawberries, raspberries, and cherries, and use that to dye the frosting or baked goods. I often buy canned beets, for example, and just drain off the juice to use for these projects (and then you can eat the beets for dinner!). Or, thaw some frozen berries, and use the resulting juice (there will be plenty).

Sometimes the additional liquid of the fruit or vegetable juice is a problem, so in those instances, I simply substitute the fruit or vegetable juice for some of the recipe's liquid.



by Annie Berthold-Bond, Care2.com

Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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