Did you try adding pink? also i think a little lemon juice takes out the bitter taste.
Debster I made red ri last night add some lemon extract it gives it a wonderful smell and flavor. I made a 2 pound bag of powered sugar so I think I used 2-3 ts extract. Just remember that the red may not look red enough ut it gets darker as it dries so don't O D on color HTH debbie 
I was going to suggest powdered color, too! That is all I use now for challenging colors. I still use Americolor for basics, but red and black are definitely powdered color items.
A quick word about red - it is very sensitive to light, and will fade easily. Purple does the same, and turns gray, because of the red pigment in it. Powdered red color lasts longer than the pastes or liquid gels.
Theresa
I own two different brands, and I use both. For larger jobs, I use Cake'N'Candy, because the container is bigger. For smaller jobs, and for use as petal dust, I use Crystal Colors, which I highly recommend. Both are pure FDA-approved food colors, no additives like talc or anything like that.
Crystal Colors (available from www.sugarpaste.com) comes in a large variety of colors, which are all very beautiful. The color chart on their website does not do them justice.
Cake'N'Candy has a smaller variety of colors, mostly primary, secondary, and neutrals.
Theresa
I own two different brands, and I use both. For larger jobs, I use Cake'N'Candy, because the container is bigger. For smaller jobs, and for use as petal dust, I use Crystal Colors, which I highly recommend. Both are pure FDA-approved food colors, no additives like talc or anything like that.
Crystal Colors (available from www.sugarpaste.com) comes in a large variety of colors, which are all very beautiful. The color chart on their website does not do them justice.
Cake'N'Candy has a smaller variety of colors, mostly primary, secondary, and neutrals.
Theresa
Theresa, who makes the Cake'N'Candy powdered colors? Do you like it better than Americolor all around or just for certain colors?
TIA!
Lea
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