Food colors are an important part of any pastry chef's arsenal. But even if you're not a confectioner, each of us has encountered food coloring in our lives. Remember those colored powders that were so fun to use for dyeing Easter eggs in childhood? The pictures on the packaging promised bright colors, but reality differed significantly from them. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, and a worthy competitor has appeared — gel food color. With its help, you can easily get that mesmerizing saturated shade. And if necessary, a delicate pastel one. In that case, you'll need very little color, literally on the tip of a toothpick.

Advantages of gel food colors:

  • First and foremost, it's the high concentration of pigment. That's why you need so little color for delicate shades. And for bright shades, just a couple of drops will be enough.
  • The colors are completely ready to use. They don't need to be diluted, heated, or mixed with anything. Just add a drop of color, mix for a few seconds, and you get a beautiful even color.
  • An ideal texture for work. The gel contains a very small amount of water and does not change the consistency of the products.
  • Convenient packaging. Such colors are produced in tubes made of soft opaque plastic with a dispenser. To get the necessary amount of color, lightly press on the tube.
  • Gel food colors have no taste or aroma of their own. When they are added, all, even the most delicate flavor nuances will remain unchanged.

    Where can gel food colors be used?

    Gel colors can be used to color almost anything. They are simply ideal for dough. After baking, pigments tend to pale. With the help of a coloring gel, you can achieve such bright colors that will not fade during the baking process. Various cake creams are also perfectly colored with gel colors. Ideally, for fat-based creams, you need fat-soluble colors. But if you color them before introducing the butter, a gel will do just fine. Coloring gels are versatile: you can use them to color mousses, drinks, jelly — practically anything. They are only unsuitable for chocolate, as they are water-soluble. And water, as we know, is incompatible with chocolate.

    Such colors can also be used to paint surfaces. If your color is too thick, simply dilute it a little with an alcohol-based liquid. You can paint a figure completely, or draw individual details. For a beautiful shine, add a little candurin to the diluted color. This dry color of natural origin is a sparkling powder. It can be used both in tandem with other colors and on its own.

    What to look for when choosing gel food colors?

    There are many offers on the market for every taste and budget. It's quite difficult to navigate in this variety. Let's look at the most popular brands among pastry chefs.

    The most popular is the gel color AmeriColor produced in the USA. It features a rich color palette, high concentration of colorant, and ease of use. A good, high-quality color that has proven itself in the market. The only drawback could be its cost.

    Top Product. A budget-friendly option from a Russian manufacturer. Available in large 100 ml tubes. Compared to AmeriColor, they have a more liquid consistency and a smaller number of colors in the line. They give bright, saturated shades and uniform coloring.

    Criamo, Ukrasa. Gel colors from these two Ukrainian manufacturers have also found their fans among confectioners. A variety of colors, affordable prices, and economical consumption make these colors very attractive.

    SugarFlair - colors made in the UK. Intense pigment, unusual shades in the palette, and a long shelf life. Excellent quality colors that last much longer than their counterparts.

    If you haven't found the required color

    If you haven't found the required color in the line, you can create it yourself. It is recommended to mix colors from the same manufacturer. Otherwise, you may get an unpredictable result. When mixing, refer to a standard color chart. For example, you need turquoise. You have blue and green colors. To get the color of a sea wave, you'll need to add more blue color, and for a mint one - green. Good luck with your experiments!