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red, purple, or black with anthocyanin pigments. A pale, yellow
anthocyanin-less strain arose in the 16th century and became very popular,
perhaps because it would not color sauces and soups."

p. 179 - "The usually reddish anthocyanins... are...water soluble.  Their
most important characteristic... is their sensitivity to pH... and to the
presence of metal ions. Where chlorophyll gets duller or brighter according
to these conditions, the anthocyanins change color completely.  In acid
solutions, they tend toward the red; around neutral pH, they are colorless
or light violet; and in alkaline conditions a blue form predominates...
Some anthocyanins form grayish, green, and blue complexes with iron,
aluminum, and tin respectively... Irreversible destruction of the
anthocyanins can be caused by prolonged storage at high temperatures and
the presence of oxygen, sugar, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C)... Acidic
conditions and low temperatures favor the preservation of anthocyanins, and
a little lemon juice inhibits the formation of pigment-metal complexes."

Here is a blue sauce from Epulario (Falconwood Press edition.  Anyone have
the original?):
"To make a skie colour sauce in summer.  Take wild mulberies which grow in
the Hedges, and a few stamped Almonds with a little Ginger, temper all this
with Veriuice and straine it."


Cindy

>What on earth could be suitable to turn the sauce more basic?  Acid is easy,
>but more basic? Urgle.  Any advice out there on what could be used that is
>edible?
>
>D.
>
>
>>There is a recipe in the Neapolitan collection (#88 in Scully's _Cuoco
>>Napoletano_) that refers to turning white gelatine to peacock blue using
>>carrot shavings. Scarlet, purple and blue/black carrots contain anthocyanins
>>that are pH sensitive (red to blue shift, acid to base), and react to
>>certain metal ions (i.e., pot materials). You might experiment with those.
>>
>>Thomas Longshanks
>>