THE CROAK is a weekly environmental newsletter put out by the eCoexist team. It is the voice of the environment on its last legs, the final croak that can either be a plea for attention or a call of triumph as the frogs jump out of the well of ignorance and denial.

Photo by Sharon Pittaway on Unsplash

Imagine if we lived in a black and white world where everything was a different shade of grey? Scary thought isnt it? Colour is celebration ... it embellishes emotion, and is a medium of communication. Nature uses colour to her full advantage and humans depend on her colours to navigate the planet. 

Do we realise that all the colour in our lives comes from Nature herself? As we gear upto the festival of Holi lets look at some of the most common sources of colour around us...from tubers in the ground, to flowers and leaves, renewable sources of vegetable colours abound. 

Turmeric is the magical tuber that gives an entire range of colours from Orange to Purple and even Blue... Turmeric is an essential spice in Oriental cuisine and is the source of Curcumin - the active ingredient that is extracted for several medicinal products. While we are familiar with the deep orange colour of Turmeric, the other rare varieties of turmeric are not found so commonly in India.

Source: Facebook / Mark Homesteader

Turmeric is a root that has been used to impart colour and flavor to food for centuries. It is produced by grinding the rhizomes of the perennial herb, Curcuma longa, which is native to India, South America, China, and the East Indies, Colour manufacturers are able to deodorize turmeric, allowing it to be used in applications beyond spices. The hue can range from a pale butter yellow to an intense, vibrant yellow depending on the application and the concentration.

Source: ddwcolor.com

Red beet juice is extracted from the root of the vegetable Beta vulgaris, or the red beet. The colorings responsible for the red to pink hue of beet juice are a group of molecules called betanins.

Betanin is the main colouring compound present in red beet juice colour. The colourings responsible for the red hue of the juice are a group of molecules called betalains. This group of pigments contains the red and yellow pigments known as betacyanins and betaxanthins, respectively.

Source: ddwcolor.com

The Butterfly pea plant has blue flowers that have been used as food colouring in many cultures. Also known as Gokarna or Shankhapushpi - it grows easily and abundantly in homes as well. Clitoria ternatea is used as a medicinal herb in Ayurveda to enhance memory and prevent depression. 

One of the most stunning trees in India - Butea monosperma flowers during spring time and its red flowers have been used to make natural colour. Palash is now a rare tree in urban areas although it is still found in the interiors of Maharashtra. 

Making dye from Flame of the Forest is rather simple. After collection, the flowers are chopped into small pieces, boiled with water, and strained. Once heated, the resulting liquid can be used to dye fabrics anywhere from soft yellow to bright orange, depending on the soaking time, pH, and temperature. ( Source: Avani)

Marigold - a flower that is abundant in Indian culture - also gives a vibrant orange saffron colour naturally. Lutein, a carotenoid, is a natural yellow food colouring obtained from the extraction of marigold flowers grown on commercial plantations. Lutein, is an antioxidant and can be medicinal also. Homeopathy uses Marigold - Calendula officinalis - as a tincture and cream, to help relieve skin irritations. 

HOW ARE NATURAL COLOURS EXTRACTED?

Different processes are followed to extract colour from natural materials - heating, homogenisation, milling, filtration, concentration and drying are some of them. Colours used for food colouring have different requirements than natural dyes. Extracted colour react differently to heat and light, and change over time. The acidity or alkalinity of the colour is also affected by other substances it comes into contact with. In the case of natural dye, to stabilise the colour on a fabric, other fixing agents are needed. 

Since 2006, eCoexist has been making simple natural colours for the festival of Holi, from a variety of natural ingredients and using rice flour, potato powder or cornflour as fillers. Our colours are lab tested to ensure the absence of heavy metals, and are made by womens self help groups. Take a look at our offering this year..

The Croak is a weekly environmental newsletter put out by the eCoexist team. It is the voice of the environment on its last legs, the final croak that can either be a plea for attention or a call of triumph as the frogs jump out of the well of ignorance and denial. Satirical, urgent and wise the newsletter brings to your attention, topics of global environmental relevance as well as emerging encouraging alternatives. Put together by a team of passionate Nature lovers, The Croak hopes to look at the environmental crisis in its face. It is a tool to reconnect readers to Nature, through questioning and self reflection. To understand the outer environment as a reflection of our own inner state, individually and as a species. And to take responsibility for enabling change.
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