coloring gumpaste

by Melody
(Stockton, MO, USA)

I am making red poinsettias with gum paste. How do you get that deep red that doesn't look pink? I tried adding a touch of brown paste but now it has a more red/orange color.

From the editor:

Hi Melody,

True red is a tricky color. It can take so much color that the flavor suffers or, as you found, it's not a true red.

Try this:

1. Make your gumpaste using Maraschino Cherry juice as the liquid. This will give you a good pink to start with so you don't need as much color.

2. Make the gumpaste and let sit for 24 hours. Dark colors, particularly reds, darken over time so that color you thought was pink may very well be red tomorrow.

3. You can add a tiny amount of Burgundy paste color to deepen the red. Again, remember to wait 24 hours before judging the final color.

Good luck.

Regards,
Michelle (editor)