There are, by my count, at least seven levels of fried chicken. The worst of them is good; the best, which I waited forty-four years to find, led to what can only be called an out-of-body experience. Let’s start at …
Red Food Coloring Substitutes
Red food coloring is a common ingredient in cooking--especially in baking, where desserts such as red velvet cake derive their vivid hue from the liberal addition of red food coloring. Yet some cooks choose to eschew red food coloring, both because of its chemical properties and because many claim that it alters the taste of their food. Luckily, there are a number of natural substitutes for red food coloring. Add this to my Recipe Box.
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Hibiscus
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The petals of hibiscus flowers, colored a bright red, are often ground down to make a powder. When mixed with food, this powder imbues most items with a deep blue-red color. Most commonly used in baking, hibiscus can also be used in cloth dyeing, water painting and the tinting of beverages. Some also claim that drinking water tinged with hibiscus can improve renal function.
Grape Skins
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Much of the red color of red wine comes not from the juice of the grapes, but from the fruit's skins. The advantages to grape skins as a substitute to artificial food coloring are many. Not only do they contain anti-oxidants and hold anti-inflammatory properties, but, as a powder, they retain their coloring stability in hot and cold temperatures.
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Elderberry Juice
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Elderberry juice, available in liquid and powder forms, is extracted from the elderberry fruit and then concentrated in powerful filters. Depending on the pH of the elderberry, which changes as it is being processed, the juice can range in color from red to blue to purple. The juice has only a mild taste and aroma impact and is commonly used in beverages--such as energy drinks, soy drinks and spirits.
Carotenoids
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Carotenoids are the natural chemicals that produce the red-orange color in some fruits and vegetables like oranges, tomatoes and carrots, as well as in some flowers. Used in plants to help photosynthesize nutrients, carotenoids can also be isolated and extracted and used as a dye and a coloring agent. They are oil-soluble and heat-soluble and commonly used in soft drinks, dairy and margarine.
Anthocyanins
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Odorless and almost without flavor, anthocyanins do produce a mildly astringent sensation, making them a less common substitute than certain other alternatives. Found in the vacuoles of vegetables and fruits--such as purple cabbage, beets, and blueberries--anthocyanins can produce a red, blue or purple color, turning red under acidic conditions and blue under baser conditions. Beet powder is commonly used in baking and is sometimes used as a natural alternative to food coloring in red velvet cake.
Cochineal
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Cochineal is a common name for the pigment carminic acid, or carmine, which is extracted from the female cochineal insect. It is water-soluble and remains stable when exposed to heat, light and oxygen. It is often added to alcoholic beverages, including Campari, and processed meat products.
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- Photo Credit red wine and red grapes image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
