Don’t worry about being too precise with your cuts, but smaller pieces are better, since you’ll be able to get more color from the cabbage. Red cabbage contains anthocyanin. These are natural dyes that are a great alternative to artificial colors. [2] X Research source
As the cabbage boils, the anthocyanin will leach into the water, turning it purple.
As a bonus, you now have a cooked and ready-to-eat cabbage. Set it aside to cool, and then use it in soups, stews, stir fries, and other dishes. [5] X Research source
As the liquid cooks, the water will evaporate and the liquid will reduce, leaving behind a more concentrated and more vibrant purple water.
Use a clear jar so you can see the color change as you add the baking soda. When you mix the anthocyanin with an alkaline ingredient like baking soda, it becomes blue. In an acidic environment, the anthocyanin will become redder. You can even make a red dye by adding lemon juice.
If the color isn’t blue enough for you, continue to stir in a small amount of baking soda, no more than ⅛-teaspoon (0. 6-g) at a time. Too much baking soda will affect the taste of your food coloring, so be careful not to overdo it. [11] X Research source
Blue frosting: Make a batch of vanilla buttercream or your favorite white frosting. Before icing your treats, add several drops of food coloring and stir to combine. If you want a richer blue, take a portion of the buttercream and microwave it with the food coloring, then mix it with the rest. Blue ice cream: Homemade ice cream is a fun and tasty project. Transfer the ice cream base to the ice cream maker, turn on the machine, and add the blue food coloring a few drops at a time until you achieve the desired intensity. You can also use this dye in store-bought ice cream. Blue Easter eggs: Dyeing eggs is a fun tradition to celebrate Easter. Hard boil the eggs first to help prevent cracking, and when the eggs are dry, dip them into a jar of the blue food coloring for several minutes.
