Yes, you can use gel food coloring for chocolate covered strawberries.
Using Gel Food Coloring for Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Gel food coloring is a popular choice for coloring melted chocolate due to its concentrated nature and ability to provide vibrant colors without significantly altering the consistency of the chocolate. This makes it ideal for creating beautifully colored chocolate covered strawberries.
How to Use Gel Food Coloring
Here's a simple guide on how to use gel food coloring for your chocolate covered strawberries:
- Melt your chocolate: Start by melting your white chocolate according to your preferred method (microwave or double boiler).
- Divide the chocolate: If you plan on using multiple colors, divide the melted chocolate into separate bowls.
- Add the gel coloring: Add a few drops of your chosen gel food coloring to the melted chocolate. As per the reference, start with 6-10 drops and then add more to reach your desired color.
- Stir well: Gently stir the food coloring into the chocolate until the color is consistent and fully incorporated.
- Dip your strawberries: Hold your strawberry by the stem and dip it into the colored chocolate. Swirl gently for a smooth coating.
- Let them set: Place the dipped strawberries on parchment paper to set.
Advantages of Using Gel Food Coloring
- Highly Concentrated: Gel colors are very concentrated, so a small amount goes a long way. This prevents the chocolate from becoming too thin.
- Vibrant Colors: Gel food coloring provides rich and vibrant colors, which is perfect for creating beautiful chocolate-covered strawberries.
- Doesn't Affect Consistency: Unlike liquid food coloring, gel coloring does not typically alter the consistency of the melted chocolate, which is vital for smooth dipping.
Example from Reference
The provided reference confirms that you can use gel food coloring for chocolate-covered strawberries. For example, it states:
"DIVIDE melted white chocolate in half into two small bowls. ADD 6 – 10 drops blue gel food color to one bowl and STIR until thoroughly blended."
This clearly indicates the use of gel food coloring for coloring white chocolate used for dipping strawberries.
Tips for Success
- Start with small amounts of gel color, then add more if needed.
- Use white chocolate to get the best color results. Dark or milk chocolate will not show the color as vibrant.
