Colored Bacon

August 30, 2012 1:00 pm Published by 158 Comments

Neil Caldwell has come up with something that is pure genius. He has created the color wheel of bacon!

No, this bacon was not a victim of photoshop. This is real colored bacon. And you can eat it! Nom, nom, nom!

In the photos above, you can see the raw bacon in their color bowls and the cooked colored bacon below it. Notice how well the color is retained? Seriously awesome!

Colored bacon strips on plate

It’s probably the most delicious rainbow we’ve ever seen. Put some golden tots at the end of this bacon rainbow and you’ll definitely get lucky. Show your Bacon Pride!

Maybe this rainbow would work if you used bacon jerky?

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158 Comments

  • Jim says:

    Ok, now this is perfect for Easter breakfast. Colored eggs….colored bacon. It couldn’t be more right!

  • Drambo says:

    I agree Jim. This is a beautiful way to start my day (check out that rhyme).

  • McG says:

    Secret? I think the “secret” recipe is bacon, and food coloring. Just a wild guess though.

  • sam says:

    no. it’s weird. y’all are weird. acquire lives

  • Sophie says:

    That is gross as all hell…

  • James says:

    Bacon should be pink, with bits of white. Colour just ain’t natural!!!

  • erk says:

    I have not met anyone who doesn’t like bacon. I’ll eat it no matter what colour it is.

  • dr.suess says:

    likes this..

  • ting says:

    oh… tats disgusting.. u sure tats edible?

  • healthy says:

    Great ! Artery clogging crud and carcinogenic food color for the “win”.

  • The Pope... From TV says:

    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.

  • Sol says:

    First nitrates, now mysterious dying agents! Gee I wonder what new meat processing enhancement they’ll think of next……

  • Kat says:

    green eggs and ham anyone?

  • Ellen says:

    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?

  • Victoria says:

    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.

  • Carole says:

    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?

  • Phukov says:

    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”

  • J says:

    This does the impossible and makes bacon unappealing. Weird dirty yellow bacon? Yum….

  • Jo says:

    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???

  • George says:

    Ewww!!!

  • cinderella says:

    Doesn’t look pleasing… we should stop eating junk i guess.. Bacon isn’t junk.. color it, it becomes junk. scary bacon!

  • dan says:

    yeah, that’s gotta be healthy. i mean… bacon is ALREADY healthy for ya so…

  • Marisha says:

    *Wretch*

  • D Sims says:

    Where do i sign up?

  • R. Moose says:

    I prefer Green Eggs and Ham =)

  • Prova says:

    Frickin A — First of a new breed. There’s progress for ya 😀

  • snowangel1225 says:

    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!

  • AdmiralSirJohn says:

    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.

  • Frequentflyer says:

    What did they do, dip a pig into the Gulf of Mexico?

  • galootaurus says:

    Green bacon is the tastiest vegetable ever!

  • PJ says:

    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.

  • Marcy says:

    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?”

  • Divekeys says:

    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!

  • Laur says:

    If you have a problem getting your children to eat bacon, then you need new kids.

  • mmmBacon says:

    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.

  • Steveo says:

    wrong Wrong WRONG!

  • M Otis Beard says:

    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.

  • MatthewB says:

    “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”.

  • Randomshire says:

    Well, all these guys did was copy Sponge Bob. Goolgle search “Sponge Bob Pretty Patties”.

    I’d eat colored bacon.

  • Joe Blow from Kokomo says:

    Ellen said:
    “Maybe… rainbow SALT to season just about anything?”

    Mentally I just made my first million. Thanks, Ellen :O)

  • Hob says:

    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!

  • Billy Harris says:

    Bacon is nasty I hate it it

  • Billy Harris says:

    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

  • bacon lover says:

    This is bloody stupid, why ruin something so good?

  • bacon lover says:

    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.

  • Bruno says:

    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.

  • Treasure says:

    “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

  • common sense says:

    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’

  • Clare says:

    This is easy to make and really tasty…though the sight of blue bacon should really make anyone sick!

  • Martin says:

    Since when do kids ever have trouble eating meat? And especially, eating bacon??

  • Andrew L. Ayers says:

    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…

  • Chumgrinder says:

    OMG, it’s iBacon!!!

  • Angel says:

    do you do color beef bacon?

  • Naser says:

    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!

  • Reina says:

    This is just not ok…

  • marc parrilli says:

    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.

  • Sissy says:

    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!!!

  • Cakes says:

    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

  • Jim says:

    Now Dr. Seuss would be jealous.

  • NoGOOD says:

    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…..

  • ?!?!?! says:

    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 !!

  • Will S. says:

    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.

  • Emoly says:

    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.

  • FAT DUDE says:

    HO SAD BACON!! GIV ME DA BACON!!! NOOW!!!!!!!!

  • Marilyn says:

    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.

  • John says:

    Bacon had a mom.

  • Connie says:

    Why do people insist on ruining real food by adding petroleum-based chemicals? This is ludicrous!

  • Jim says:

    The downfall of all Americans.

  • Pickwick says:

    Eeeeew! That’s just plain wrong!

  • Dman says:

    Oh Yeah, Red Dye #2. Yum.

  • Dan C says:

    What would this do to poops?

  • Sonya says:

    But,why?

  • JubJubBird says:

    the red bacon looks like bacon.

  • A says:

    Yum, colored scab-like food! (Never ever liked bacon–this just ups it’s grossness).

  • Adrian-of-Earth says:

    Looks intriguing. But kids will eat bacon anyhow cause they just get hooked on the fats.

  • Wolfiy Dire-wolf says:

    OMG skittles + bacon = RAINBOW BACON!!!!! X3

  • SD-B says:

    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.””

  • Mariah says:

    Very cool however it kinda freaks me out like the purple and green ketsup.

  • cassandra says:

    this is definately kind of cool. i think it would spice up breakfast pretty well. imagine a blt. wow lots of color.lol

  • Cheryl says:

    Hey…I make pancakes for the kids in every color of the rainbow…now the bacon will match.

  • gaspard says:

    great combination of trans fats and food coloring…. nails in your cofines people!

  • Scaldis Noel says:

    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.

  • Scaldis Noel says:

    >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.

    • bill says:

      the coloring of bacon is a trend dont try and act smart when clearly your not and bacon has always been popular and coloring it is a stupid trend that needs to die.

  • How to Grow Peppers says:

    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!

  • Kurt Landerfield says:

    Everything about this is stupid. The article, the commentary, the concept itself. I hate everything.

  • Floored says:

    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!

  • Pae says:

    “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?”

  • mmmmmmbacon says:

    whats next, multi colored pigs?

  • Mister Dog says:

    Terribly unfair to tease us with colored bacon, and not tell us how to do it! Curses!

  • Damaris says:

    This is hilarious. Found your blog via The Ktchn where they talked about colored eggs.

  • BaconGuy says:

    Do you know what website you are on?

  • Paula says:

    Heyto-If you are not here for bacon orgasms you are on the wrong website.

    BaconGuy-Love this website. You are my hero.

  • Perfect for arselifters! 8)

  • wbutterman says:

    Alfred Hitchcock used to play games with his dinner guests – he would have his gourmet chef prepare a wonderful dinner in high classic French style, all strictly by the book except for one detail: all the food would be dyed bright electric blue. No matter how hard they tried, most could NOT eat the food.

  • patricia says:

    Who has trouble getting there kids to eat bacon?! Do such children really exist? What sad children 😉

  • Meme says:

    blondy773 says:
    but… aliens ARE affecting or meat with probes. They’re out there… just wait.
    ———————

    Did you mean “our meat”, dear? Perhaps you shouldn’t bash other people’s grammar when you yourself have a poor handle on it…

  • SRK says:

    Exactly what kids needs. Yet more artificial food colorants which are known to be so bad for you

  • This is the ideal weblog for anyone who desires to find out about this topic. You understand so significantly its virtually difficult to argue with you (not that I truth would need?HaHa). You definitely place a brand new spin on the topic thats been written about for a long time. Nice things, just exceptional!

  • Arcy96 says:

    Coloured Bacooon!
    I want it, Now!

  • You made a few fine points there. I did a search on the subject and found a good number of people will go along with with your blog.

  • bacpngirl113 says:

    wat do u maen bacon is the best food out there ur taste buds r ovsosly wrong

  • bacongirl113 says:

    wat r so stupid bacon is the best food out there either ur mental or ur taste buds dont work!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • PsychoDad says:

    BURN the blasphemer!!!

  • PsychoDad says:

    Just one thing, I think nowadays we’re supposed to say “Bacon of Color.”

  • vivier says:

    Why on earth would I feed my child with bacon in the first place??

    • Shaun Somers says:

      Because you love them and want them to be healthy and strong! I’d be leery of the color though, at least until I knew how it was created.

    • Unity says:

      Your article perftcley shows what I needed to know, thanks!

    • BaconEnthusiast says:

      Get off this site.

    • The BaconHeart says:

      Because Bacon is the perfect food. It’s High In Fat and Protein, and v. low in carbs

    • Andy says:

      Why on earth would you even be on this site talking trash about something we love. Go away and leave us happy people alone, you’re starting to bring some of us down with your negativity. If I took your comment literally then I guess you could be asking why use bacon as a fork or spoon. Your negative Nelly attitude is making me think. I guess there is a tinge of yin in the yang. I’m going to try it,

    • Brooke says:

      you sir -and i dont care if u r a lady- r a bleep! u shod never come back hear again!

  • Dumb Blonde Girl says:

    Will this make my pooop rainbow?

  • Brian Paton says:

    This is AWSESOME! I don’t think i would eat it, but awesome nontheless.

  • Phil says:

    Mr. B,

    Bacon already has a color, and it is not yellow, blue, green, or purple.
    You also state that this would be great for kids that don’t like to eat their meat. Kids might not eat meat, but I have not met one yet that won’t eat Bacon.

  • Alfredman says:

    Lots of irate debate over colorful bacon! Food color is largely harmless if not overdone, and it certainly makes it look fun, as if you ever needed to enhance bacon. Bacon enhances everything else, but why not? Btw, bacon refers to the smoking process, and different countries use different parts of the pig to make bacon, it’s the smoke that makes it so good, as it does on all types of meat animals.Smoked duck is wonderful! Ignore the naysayers.

  • GIVE ME BACON NOM AND DOM JUMP

  • Jambouie says:

    Nope. There are just too many horrible, pseudo-documentary, have-a-different-agenda “movies” out there to watch. Can’t se them all, can we?

  • Jambouie says:

    After reading these comments it’s really obvious that there are a lot of uptight people with nothing better to do than bag on bacon on a bacon website. People, get a life. Maybe bacon has some mood-altering effect that would make even the most holier-than-thou critic relax and enjoy life. These nutcases are only a whisper away from the conspiracy theorists, religious zealots, and anti-everything activists with some overwhelming need to “educate” those who actually understand but couldn’t care less about their tired speeches.

    Lighten up, people. It’s bacon. If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. But go preach on some other site.

  • Kita Kita Bacon Eater! says:

    Love this!!! It’s fun, it’s cool, and I know my kids will love it. Usually, we do green eggs and ham every now and then. Next time, we’ll do green eggs and bacon.

  • Moknbyrd says:

    @Kita Kita Bacon Eater!
    How long do you soak the eggs and ham?
    🙂

  • jed says:

    Screw the eggs…I want THIS in my easter basket next year.

  • Kayla & Braxton & Brittany says:

    This is soo awesome.. how do you do this?

  • Carol says:

    I agree, Those of us who love bacon can not be swayed by the naysayers, who should stop preaching about how it’s bad for you. If you think people should not eat bacon, go stick your face in a plate of tofu and leave us alone.

  • bacon lover says:

    colored bacon is AWESOME i could pee myself lol

  • website says:

    Neil Caldwell has come up with something that is pure genius. He has created the color wheel of bacon!

    No, this bacon was not a victim of photoshop. This is real colored bacon. And you can eat it! Nom, nom, nom!

  • NoJustNo says:

    What a ridiculous, pointless thing to do to bacon!

  • Stickie says:

    “Anyone feeding dyed bacon to their children should be investigated by CPS immediantly. Forget investigating them, they should remove the children immediantly.”
    Would you mind telling us all exactly *why* you think this should happen? Do you really believe this, or was your ‘opinion’ invented purely to annoy us?
    I’d really love to know.
    –S

  • Zed Power says:

    Woah. Bacon!

  • bacon-hater says:

    bacon sucks…no one should feed it to their kids. its not good for your health. be warned!!!

  • Derpguy says:

    mmmmmm. Bacon-haters crazy. Dont listen to him/her.

  • Linda B says:

    Easter Bacon! I’d hunt for that!

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