Using food colouring

StittsvilleJames · 02-04-2012, 03:04 PM

I am making my very first cheese today (it's a farmhouse cheddar, from a kit called "Mad Millie Hard Cheese") and am waiting for it to turn into curds, and started wondering about using food colouring to make green cheese, red cheese, purple cheese, or hot pink cheese?

Is there chemicals in the food colouring which would stop it from turning into curds, or make it taste funny, or anything else?

I know it's too late to do this for today's cheese (and being my first i want to follow the directions exactly), but I will be making another batch next weekend of "Bra Duro" cheese, and it would be cool to make it funky coloured (My 9 and 7 year old boys would love it!).

Thanks in advance!

**Yooper** · 02-05-2012, 02:24 PM

I use annatto (I don't know how to spell it) to make yellow cheese. I don't know about anything else, though.

jerich01 · 02-21-2012, 04:30 AM

Hey James,

James here - Annatto is great for coloring cheese as are various herbs and spices. If you're looking for just food coloring, make sure it's fat soluble as opposed to water-soluble. A good source for these sorts of colors is any shop selling cake making supplies; try Michael's Crafts or Hobby Lobby...

James.

crosamich · 02-24-2012, 04:27 PM

You will want to dilute the food coloring a bit just as you would with annatto to ensure even mixing. I don't have any on hand to view but I it may have an anti-fungal additive. Your dosage would be small anyway and you would add the color well after the LA bacteria get up and running anyway.

StittsvilleJames · 02-24-2012, 07:56 PM

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely try this for my next cheese I make, and I will post a follow up if and when I actually get around to it.

Thanks again!

BrewandWineSupply · 05-05-2012, 03:46 PM

Annatto ingredients: Water, Annatto, Potassium Hydroxide, Castor oil.
Says it is a water based coloring. Add 25 to 50 drops per gallon of milk. Gives a yellow color.

Directions: dilute coloring in 1/4 cup water. Add to milk before rennet and stir.

jerich01 · 05-07-2012, 05:11 AM

Water-based yes but annatto bonds to the fat - it's why it works in margarine... If you want freaky colors (green or blue cheese) the fat soluble colors give you better results.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annatto

crosamich · 05-07-2012, 02:37 PM

Different extraction methods yield Annetto with different properties. There is an oil-soluble and a water-soluble extraction procedure. Anything you would find from a homemade cheese shop would most likely be water-soluble.