How to Prepare Red Food Coloring

Decorate Valentine's Day cookies with your homemade red food coloring.

Red food coloring plays an important role in certain recipes, from making pink icing for Valentine's Day cookies to baking a rich, red velvet cake. Store-bought food coloring often contains unwanted chemicals and artificial ingredients that are undesirable for those preferring a diet of only natural foods. Prepare your own all-natural, red food coloring with a recipe you can follow at home, Does this Spark an idea?

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3 beets
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Metal cooking pot
Water
Fork
Cheesecloth
Glass jar with lid
2 tbsp. white vinegar

Instructions

- 1
  
  Scrub three fresh beets in the sink to remove any dirt. Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler.
- 2
  
  Cut each beet into six to eight pieces with a sharp knife.
- 3
  
  Place the cut beet pieces into an empty metal pot, and add just enough water so that the beets are covered.
- 4
  
  Simmer the beets for approximately 45 minutes. Check the beets for doneness by periodically poking with a fork. Once you can easily pierce the flesh, the beets are done.
- 5
  
  Remove the beets from the liquid and set aside. You can either throw them away at this point or use them in a meal.
- 6
  
  Place a cheesecloth over the top of an open, clean, empty glass jar. Strain the beet water through the cheesecloth into the jar to remove any beet pieces from the water.
- 7
  
  Remove the cheesecloth, and add 2 tbsp. of white vinegar to the red liquid. Place a secure lid on top and shake for 15 seconds to mix.
- 8
  
  Label the jar and use as you would store-bought food coloring.