Neil Caldwell has come up with something that is pure genius. He has created the color wheel of bacon!
No, this isn’t some graphic design trick (although Neil is a graphic designer). This is real, genuine colored bacon.
In the above photos you can see the pre-cooked and post-cooked bacon. Notice how well the color is retained.
Ever had trouble getting your kids to eat their meat? Well, we can just about guarantee that the kiddies won’t turn down a rainbow of sweet, sweet bacon.
Just how does Neil create this fantastically colored bacon? Well, for the moment he’s keeping the secret under wraps. We’ll keep on the case though and see if we can’t get you a recipe for this colorful concoction.
Hmmm, I wonder if this bacon rainbow would work if you used bacon jerky?
March 24th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Ok, now this is perfect for Easter breakfast. Colored eggs….colored bacon. It couldn’t be more right!
March 30th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
I agree Jim. This is a beautiful way to start my day (check out that rhyme).
April 17th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Secret? I think the “secret” recipe is bacon, and food coloring. Just a wild guess though.
May 24th, 2010 at 12:31 am
no. it’s weird. y’all are weird. acquire lives
May 24th, 2010 at 4:45 am
That is gross as all hell…
May 24th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Bacon should be pink, with bits of white. Colour just ain’t natural!!!
May 24th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
I have not met anyone who doesn’t like bacon. I’ll eat it no matter what colour it is.
May 24th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
likes this..
May 24th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
oh… tats disgusting.. u sure tats edible?
May 26th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Great ! Artery clogging crud and carcinogenic food color for the “win”.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
No.
May 29th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
These youngsters will change their bacon lifestyle with the times. Let them have their fun. Maybe their children with make bacon shapes, or stand them up on the plate. Let’s keep focused here, the issue is that it’s still bacon.
May 31st, 2010 at 2:31 pm
First nitrates, now mysterious dying agents! Gee I wonder what new meat processing enhancement they’ll think of next……
June 15th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
green eggs and ham anyone?
June 15th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
People find it hard to get their kids to eat bacon? REALLY? I think they should take this technique and transfer it to something less appealing – like have multicolored corn or something. Maybe… rainbow SALT to season just about anything?
June 16th, 2010 at 12:15 am
If this really is just bacon and moderately diluted food coloring, it probably tastes horrible. Above a relatively low concentration, food coloring makes things taste like the tip of a permanent marker.
June 16th, 2010 at 7:52 am
I don’t know about this – I like my bacon au-naturel if you know what I mean. I would be concerned that the red bacon has red food coloring and isn’t that carcinogenic?
June 16th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Don’t hate-this is diversity in bacon! Can’t all colors get along-alongside the eggs on my breakfast plate?
this is perfect for a halloween themed breakfast, but only if flavor isn’t compromised by the “secret recipe”
June 16th, 2010 at 10:14 am
This does the impossible and makes bacon unappealing. Weird dirty yellow bacon? Yum….
June 16th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Just because it is colorful will not make a child eat it, at least not any child with a bit of intelligence and self-respect. My kids would [ if they were also not smart enough to know bacon=good ] look at me like, “It’s still the stuff I didn’t want to eat… only now it’s colorful”. Maybe “parenting” is an option???
June 16th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Ewww!!!
June 16th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Doesn’t look pleasing… we should stop eating junk i guess.. Bacon isn’t junk.. color it, it becomes junk. scary bacon!
June 16th, 2010 at 11:21 am
yeah, that’s gotta be healthy. i mean… bacon is ALREADY healthy for ya so…
June 16th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
*Wretch*
June 16th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Disgusting!
June 16th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Where do i sign up?
June 16th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
I prefer Green Eggs and Ham =)
June 16th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Frickin A — First of a new breed. There’s progress for ya
June 16th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
That’s awesome! I NEED to figure this out if he’s not tellin! Every year for at least the last 28, my family has green eggs & ham for St. Patricks day dinner! We usually do scrambled with the bacon (as the ‘ham’) thrown in because you couldn’t dye it! This is epic!
June 16th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
If I had to guess, I’d say the coloring was added during the curing process, or at least as a marinade or brine.
Not real unusual, but this is the first time I’ve seen it applied to bacon.
June 17th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Blue and green Smarties were pulled from the shelf recently because of complaints over artificial colouring. I’m sure this bacon would pass, though. http://www.smarties.ca/blueisback/.
June 17th, 2010 at 10:33 am
wrong Wrong WRONG!
June 17th, 2010 at 10:35 am
What did they do, dip a pig into the Gulf of Mexico?
June 17th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Green bacon is the tastiest vegetable ever!
June 17th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I love bacon and I love colors but I don’t know about soaking, soggy bacon step to get there. That part weirds me out.
June 17th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you should. On a personal level, I find this repugnant in appearance and strongly suspect it will also dye a person’s mouth bright Ick. Not to mention the flavor issue, which others have brought up. Pass, and thanks for playing “what stupid $&#! can we do to food items today?”
June 17th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Homer: I’ll have the smiley face breakfast special. Uhh, but could you add a bacon nose? Plus bacon hair, bacon mustache, five o’clock shadow made of bacon bits and a bacon body.
Waitress: How about I just shove a pig down your throat?
(Homer looks excited)
Waitress: I was kidding.
Homer: Fine, but the bacon man lives in a bacon house!
Waitress: No he doesn’t!
June 17th, 2010 at 11:08 am
If you have a problem getting your children to eat bacon, then you need new kids.
June 17th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
same thing with green eggs, ham and green beer on st pattys day… doesnt change the taste, only the color coming out the other end.
June 17th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Frequentflyer Says:
June 17th, 2010 at 10:35 am
What did they do, dip a pig into the Gulf of Mexico?
Bravo Frequentflyer, bravo….
June 17th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
I will eat green eggs and bacon.
I will eat them, I’m not fakin’.
I will eat them down in Hell.
I will eat them with Neil Caldwell.
I will eat green eggs and bacon!
And a green martini, stirred not shaken.
June 17th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Well, all these guys did was copy Sponge Bob. Goolgle search “Sponge Bob Pretty Patties”.
I’d eat colored bacon.
June 17th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
“Ever had trouble getting your kids to eat their meat?” No. Who has ever had trouble getting their kid to eat meat, ESPECIALLY BACON? And if their kid doesn’t want to eat meat, who cares? Bacon isn’t a required food group, it’s a luxury item. It’s also not very good for you. Not wanting to eat bacon doesn’t sound like something to be overcome, it sounds like something to be praised.
Also, food coloring additives are harmful to your health, and often cause or irritate food allergies. Your graphic designer friend could use some food science classes before he goes around poisoning everyone with his “art”.
June 17th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Ellen said:
“Maybe… rainbow SALT to season just about anything?”
Mentally I just made my first million. Thanks, Ellen :O)
June 17th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Unattractive girls could dye their faces and fat girls could have each roll of fat a different colour.
June 17th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Can I just mention that American bacon is no good for you. British bacon is virtually all meat whereas US bacon is usually one processed strip of fat, ooh my arteries!
June 17th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Bacon is nasty I hate it it
June 17th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
One more thing when I don’t die a horrible fat, heart attack u will relish in the fact that I didn’t eat bacon
June 18th, 2010 at 12:43 am
Yeah, this is sooooo unnatural. If you think about it, bacon should really look like a nice slice of dead meaty/fatty pig.
Seriously though, this is what’s going to happen to middle America when gay marriages become legal. And if the kids eat this gay bacon, well, you know what will happen then!
I think I recall my mother made rainbow bacon for me most every morning growing up. Loved it. At least she won’t have to worry about grandkids eating it….
June 18th, 2010 at 7:56 am
This is bloody stupid, why ruin something so good?
June 18th, 2010 at 7:57 am
Just an after thought.. if the kids aren’t going to eat their “meat” as the article says… so be it, that means more for us.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:42 am
I look forward to get some Hello Kitty Bacon. I’m so excited about that possibility. Just imagine: your Hello Kitty plate, fork, knife, glass, napkin… AND BACON! That’s what humanity was needing, now that I saw this I know that I’m ready to die.
June 18th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
“You won’t get any pudding if you don’t eat your meat! How can you have pudding if you don’t eat your meat!!”
Thank you Pink Floyd
June 18th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I think it is a great idea. It makes it so repulsive and artificial that people will give up eating that cholesterol bomb called ‘bacon’
June 18th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Weird….. there is a gay bacon Facebook…. kind of an inside joke for NWA people… http://www.facebook.com/gaybacon
Great minds think alike!
June 18th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
This is easy to make and really tasty…though the sight of blue bacon should really make anyone sick!
June 19th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Since when do kids ever have trouble eating meat? And especially, eating bacon??
June 19th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
I…just really don’t know what to say about this…seems so wrong, yet right at the same time. Ghastly might be a good word…
June 20th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
OMG, it’s iBacon!!!
http://tinyurl.com/5cbtsl
June 20th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
do you do color beef bacon?
June 21st, 2010 at 7:45 am
This is so wrong, they started with packaging our food with poisonos plastic, now colored bacon, if you simply know how to raise your kids, no need to fool them into getting sick, bacon already is not the healthiest meat. I hope you eat healthy from whats naturally available. PeACE!
June 21st, 2010 at 10:04 am
This is just not ok…
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:48 am
there is only one way to achieve these colos and that is by food coloring, and a lot of it. Not a healthy thing to ingest too much of and by heating the bacon, what other chemical compounds are formed? Take a look at food color chemitry some day.
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:42 am
I couldn’t agree more with most of you on it. Not only does it look gross…But it would start my day off a little better. I mean who the heck wouldn’t want bright colored bacon on a rainy day to brighten up their day. I’m one for wearing bright colors or even seeing bright colors just to start my day off fantastical!!!
June 22nd, 2010 at 2:59 pm
My kid will eat bacon all day long. Not that colored bacon. This is a way for them not to eat. It’s not always about the color. Veggies have colors and they get fed to the dog. LOL
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Now Dr. Seuss would be jealous.
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:48 am
And after your intestines have completed their work? I know that after eating a DQ Scooby Doo Blizzard what all the food coloring did. I would not eat that again either…..
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:30 am
Lets make our food a bit more artificial HUH!?!?!?!
Our kids our going to live to the age of 40 if we keep feeding them all this artificial food !!
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:39 pm
No, and wrong!
The rationale is bullshit. What kid wouldn’t enjoy bacon just as it is? And if they don’t like the flavour, for some insane reason – doesn’t everyone like bacon? – why would colouring it make a difference?
This is asinine.
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I think Colorful bacon is amazing… Course then again I absolutely love rainbows. It might look disgusting… Oh but i would still try it. BACON IS AMAZING! And now that it is rainbow. Heh, well I’m just in a Colorfull heaven. And for everyone’s information. I think that calling it Gay bacon is great.. Because clearly rainbow symbolize gays, And gay people are amazingly wonderful. Woohoo Support for gays by food =) Even if it is food that makes you fat.
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
HO SAD BACON!! GIV ME DA BACON!!! NOOW!!!!!!!!
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:44 pm
If you don’t like colored bacon you are simply a bacon racist.
June 24th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm processed meat … Have any of you watched Food Inc. ?
June 24th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I doubt I’d eat the rainbow colored bacon, but I LOVED reading all the comments! Best comments on an article I’ve read in a LONG time. The bacon, however, is mildly disturbing. Interesting, but decidedly abnormal. Think I’ll pass.
June 24th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Bacon had a mom.
June 24th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Why do people insist on ruining real food by adding petroleum-based chemicals? This is ludicrous!
June 24th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
The downfall of all Americans.
June 25th, 2010 at 8:05 am
Eeeeew! That’s just plain wrong!
June 25th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Oh Yeah, Red Dye #2. Yum.
June 25th, 2010 at 11:55 am
What would this do to poops?
June 28th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
But,why?
June 29th, 2010 at 1:24 am
the red bacon looks like bacon.
June 29th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Yum, colored scab-like food! (Never ever liked bacon–this just ups it’s grossness).
July 2nd, 2010 at 6:48 am
Looks intriguing. But kids will eat bacon anyhow cause they just get hooked on the fats.
July 4th, 2010 at 10:07 am
OMG skittles + bacon = RAINBOW BACON!!!!! X3
July 7th, 2010 at 9:49 am
He reveals his secret today at the Toronto Star
ttp://www.thestar.com/living/article/832972–coloured-bacon-creator-reveals-his-secret?bn=1
“Neil Caldwell marinates strips of regular supermarket bacon in baths of yellow, red, green and purple dye for from 24 to 30 hours. Then he fries the strips and – voila – red, orange, yellow, blue and purple bacon.
Why doesn’t the colour leach out?
“I have no idea,” Caldwell tells the Star, barely able to stop laughing long enough to talk.
“A bit of colour does come out. The hue difference between the fat and the meat is quite noticeable.”
Otherwise, he’s baffled. He’s a 38-year-old graphic designer who had a vision of coloured bacon one Sunday morning in a supermarket, slightly hung over, when a blue baby stroller crossed his line of vision in front of the bacon counter.
The secret could be in the marinating, he admits. But he’s never soaked the bacon in the dye for less than 24 hours, so he’s not sure. He does know that refridgeration seems to make no difference to the final result.
“Visually, it has a bit of a twist,” says Caldwell, explaining the appeal from a designer’s point of view. “The colours are associated with produce: lemons, blueberries, oranges. But when you eat it, you get the earthy taste of bacon.””
July 8th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I wish this bacon trend would die already. It’s so lame. I like to eat bacon on occasion yes, but I don’t have an orgasm over it. So many foods are way better.
July 9th, 2010 at 11:34 am
this is definately kind of cool. i think it would spice up breakfast pretty well. imagine a blt. wow lots of color.lol
July 9th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Very cool however it kinda freaks me out like the purple and green ketsup.
July 9th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Hey…I make pancakes for the kids in every color of the rainbow…now the bacon will match.
July 10th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
great combination of trans fats and food coloring…. nails in your cofines people!
July 17th, 2010 at 11:26 am
This is like spray painting over the Mona Lisa in primary colors to make it appeal to Andy Warhol fans. Great way to ruin God’s greatest meat creation.
July 17th, 2010 at 11:34 am
>heyto Says:
>July 8th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
>I wish this bacon trend would die already.
Bacon is not a trend, it is meat that is reaching its full potential, and people are finally starting to give it the recognition it deserves.
July 20th, 2010 at 8:55 am
The bacon looks weird. Seeing this is remembering my College days that I ate blue sauce spaghetti. I think Neil Caldwell is studying about how humans can eat those foods that we are not actually convenient in eating when their color will change. I am 100% that these colored bacon are still pretty yummy as the bacon we usually ate! Bon Appetit!
July 20th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Everything about this is stupid. The article, the commentary, the concept itself. I hate everything.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
epic
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:32 am
You all need to get a life with the comments. For god sakes its bacon…with food coloring what is you problem! Whats next comments like aliens are affecting our meat with there probes!…holy crap man. I’ll say it again get a life and move on….its just bacon…smells the same…taste the same…its just a novel idea and you guys trash it like its death. Heres a novel idea if it bothers you eating the bacon,shut up and..move away from the table and let the rest of us eat it….duh!
August 13th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
“Ever had trouble getting your kids to eat their meat?”
Um, no. How about a more realistic bacon-vs-kids question:
“Ever had to banish your entire family from the kitchen to stop all the pork products from vanishing so that by the time you actually serve breakfast it’s only eggs and toast and nobody is interested?”
Yeah, yellow bacon would definitely solve that one. “Eww, what’s wrong with the bacon?”
August 20th, 2010 at 10:03 am
whats next, multi colored pigs?