How to Neutralize the Vinegar Smell when Coloring Rice or Pasta

If you have ever used vinegar for anything you know it smells, strongly.
One of the most simplest ways that I have found to color rice is using vinegar. Not only does it give the rice a more lasting color, but in my opinion, it also preserves the rice better.

The first lot of rice I made is (at the time of writing) almost 7 months old and looks like the day I made it and it still smells faintly of vinegar!

It is convenient for me to use vinegar to color my rice and pasta because I have it on hand. I read a post a while back where someone compared the different methods of coloring and if I recall correctly there were very similar results.

So, how does one neutralize the small of vinegar when making color rice or color pasta?

Well, with one drop of essential oil! Add all the wet ingredients to your ziplock bag first, add one drop essential oil, then the dry rice so that the essential oil can do its thing. I have the how to make color rice recipe here. So far we have tried peppermint and tea tree oils.

I would stick to just one oil scent when making multiple batches for one play session, unless you know the scents complement each other. The rice, as we all know, will inevitably be mixed up into rainbow rice.

Enjoy your new divine smelling rice!

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