SC - Food dyes

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

What did folks use "in period" to color foods?

I know there was:

red - alkanet (it's usually used as a fiber dye)

red-orange/red-brown - red saunders. It's also called "red 
sandalwood" but it isn't even related to real sandalwood and doesn't 
have that wonderful scent

yellow - saffron
(turmeric in Asia - but was turmeric in Europe in SCA period?)

green - greens pressed to make a green liquid which also adds flavor, 
such are parsley and cilantro

blue - certain berries

Any others that are actually documented in period?

As far as other foods i know about that color foods, but don't know 
if they were used in period:

black - squid ink, used in pasta, but i don't know if it is used for 
anything else...

pink - beets

a range of browns, yellows, and oranges - yellow onion skins

I'm not looking for things that we can use now, but what they 
actually used "back then".

Anahita