Learn the science behind:
What would food be like without color? Pretty bland for sure. Also, it would be very hard to determine whether food is good or has gone bad, whether it’s ripe or whether it’s sour or sweet. We use color a lot to make judgment calls on food.
Color is also full of chemistry, there are a lot of different molecules and phenomena that play a role in giving a product color.
Browse through our archives to learn more about color in food!
No, we can’t answer the philosophical question, of why a lemon has a yellow color. But, we can explain what it is that makes a lemon yellow. Hint, it’s molecules, a specific group of molecules called carotenoids.
Oranges are orange. Not sure which was named first here, the fruit or the color? But, that’s not what we’re interested in anyway. We want to know, why do oranges have this bright, orange color? What is the underlying chemistry?…
They stand right next to each other in the store: golden, or yellow, brown raisins. They seem identical, except for their color. Is that true? Is their color the only difference? And if so, why even are most raisins brown,…
Orange, purple, green, or bright red. You can find fruits and vegetables of just about any color out there. Some of them are very stable. Others disappear easily, or can even change color. Want to control the color of your…
Ever tried making pistachio ice cream? And ended up with brown ice cream? Not at all like the vibrant green pistachio ice creams you’d find in ice cream shops? Turns out, creating bright green pistachio ice cream needs some help…
How you prepare broccoli doesn’t just affect its flavor. It also affects color, texture, and more. Do you cook it short or long, hot or dry? The final results can be very different! Using science, we compare 5 different ways…
Did your salad leaves turn yellow in the fridge? Did your green beans lose their bright green color while cooking? Or did you end up with some very pale cooked broccoli? Most natural colors, including green, aren’t very stable and…
Just wanted to eat a hard-boiled egg and found out that it contains a dark grey ring around the yolk? No need to throw it out, these grey egg yolks are still perfectly safe to eat. They just don’t look…
Didn’t eat all of your cooked beetroots in one go? Opened your fridge a few days later to find brown beetroots? It’s a natural phenomena that will occur in beetroots over time. Luckily, there’s a simple way to keep cooked…
Want to give your red cabbage salad a nice vibrant pinkish color? Just sprinkle in a little lime juice and your previously purple cabbage will turn pink! Or, to lighten up your cooked cabbage, add a few pieces of apple…
Have you ever wondered why some potatoes brown easily upon frying or baking, while others remain a pale yellow? Good news: you can influence this browning process yourself. According to theory, at least… Of course, we put this to the…
Would you buy a raw brown steak? What about a blue apple? Green coconut flakes? Or a grey orange? Probably not. If the color of food isn’t ‘right’ consumers won’t buy it anymore, even if it is perfectly safe and…