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One Reason Why Mint is Colored Incorrectly

11/08/08, by Kate Hopkins Email 1129 views • Categories: Ice Cream

Yes, I have a problem with people using good food coloring in their mint products (mint oil is clear, not green). But in talking with a representative from Rogers' Chocolate, this anecdote was given.

Rogers' offered a mint ice cream sans green food coloring. The sales were okay, but could have been better.

After some internal debate in their offices, they decided to color their ice cream green...

..and sales for their mint ice cream increased twenty-fold.

More than anything else, this tells me that people need to get out of their minds that mint is supposed to be green. Because the public wants the mint to be green, so the ice cream companies oblige.


Permalink • 11 comments

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: cybele [Visitor] Email · http://www.typetive.com/candyblog
Growing up the Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (my favorite) was always uncolored.

I understand when at a parlor it's helpful to color code the ice creams though, otherwise mint chocolate chip is going to look like vanilla chocolate chip.
PermalinkPermalink 11/08/08 @ 15:16
Comment from: Katharine [Visitor] Email
"that people need to get out of their minds that mint is supposed to be green"

My dad has always been cheap, and mint chocolate chip has always been my favorite.- When I was growing up he would buy whatever kind was cheapest and Kate, I swear to God, I swear - I *can* tell the difference between green and white mint chocolate chip ice cream.

And I think the green tastes better.
PermalinkPermalink 11/08/08 @ 16:18
Comment from: Julia [Visitor] Email · http://www.growcookeat.com
A friend of mine makes green mint ice cream, but she achieves the color all-naturally: She blanches the mint in boiling water for 30 seconds, and then shocks it in an ice bath. This locks in the green color. She then purees it and steeps it in the cream before making the ice cream. I have NO problem with this green ice cream and it tastes FANTASTIC!
PermalinkPermalink 11/08/08 @ 17:09
Comment from: Bridget Coila [Visitor] Email · http://www.bridgetcoila.com
I suspect the "public view" also has to do with the fact that the mint leaves are green. Most people don't ever see the oil itself, but many people are familiar with mint leaves.

I like the idea of making a natural green mint ice cream! That's such a great compromise between expectations and good taste!
PermalinkPermalink 11/08/08 @ 19:54
Comment from: Louise [Visitor] Email · http://livinlocal.wordpress.com/
Call us snobs, but my family does love their mint chip ice-cream, but will only buy the non-green variety. But, yeah, I do understand that many like their mint green.
PermalinkPermalink 11/08/08 @ 21:35
Comment from: Lisa [Visitor] Email
I tried to make home-made mint chocolate chip back in June for a birthday, and used spearmint leaves.

Holy Cow! I had never understood the why of green mint ice cream until then. Nearly the exact shade of (another "duh..." moment) Wrigley's spearmint gum packaging.

Unfortunately I didn't match the "flavor profile" of mint chocolate chip closely enough. Your mention of mint oil seems like an easier option than finding peppermint leaves.
PermalinkPermalink 11/09/08 @ 07:07
Comment from: george [Visitor] Email
Mint ice cream, key lime pie, flavored gelatin. Three great,GREAT examples of people "eating with their eyes".
PermalinkPermalink 11/10/08 @ 04:47
Comment from: Jacob [Visitor] Email
"people need to get out of their minds that mint is supposed to be green"

that's like telling people to get out of their mind that raw meat should be red. you're fighting a deeply set biological inclination- i bet. easier said than done.
PermalinkPermalink 11/10/08 @ 12:58
Comment from: ozjane [Visitor] Email · http://www.five-minutes-of-fame.blogspot.com/
While it is true that mint oil is clear, mint itself is green, so when we go and pick mint and smell the flavor in our hands we are looking at a bunch of greenery.
PermalinkPermalink 11/11/08 @ 05:10
Comment from: Jim Brinks [Visitor] Email
That leads to the question why are a lot of cheeses dyed orange?
PermalinkPermalink 11/11/08 @ 10:33
Comment from: Chris [Visitor] Email
Jacob- Raw meat should be red (and im not talkin chicken). The shade may vary by type (lamb is darker, Moose is darker), but brown is not acceptable.

Jim Brinks- A lot of cheeses are "colored" (should never be dyed) with annato extract. Goes back to the early days of cheese making when the vendors wanted thier product to stand out. Some people swear that yellow cheddar tastes better...wierd.
PermalinkPermalink 11/23/08 @ 17:16

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