A method of preparing stable, natural colors in an aqueous concentrate comprising a. forming a mixture comprising (i) a first material selected from whole fruit, fruit juice, fruit puree, fruit juice concentrate, dried powder form of fruits or juice, water insoluble part of fruits from Huito, Genipa Americana, and combinations thereof or of fruits of another plant of the Rubiaceae Family, which contains sufficient genipin or derivatives of genipin, including genipin gentiobioside, geniposide, geniposidic acid, and gardenoside, capable of reacting with other compounds to produce a colored product; (ii) an edible second material selected from - other fruit, fruit juice, fruit puree, fruit juice concentrate, and dried fruit powder; - vegetable, vegetable juice, vegetable puree, vegetable juice concentrate, and dry vegetable powder; - grain powders, grain solutions, and grain paste; - legumes, oilseeds, nuts and seeds powder, solution and paste; - tea, seaweeds and other plant materials; and - animal materials selected from milk, eggs; skeletal muscle, non-muscle organs, skins and other animal materials from mammal animals, poultry, seafood, and reptiles comprising amino acids, polypeptides, proteins, or compounds with one or more primary amine groups; the second material being selected to provide components resulting in the desired color; b. co-processing said mixture, said co-processing comprising a first heating step being performed at a temperature of 4 - 50 °C, a second heating step being performed by applying a sufficient heat treatment at 50 - 95°C to stabilize the mixture against microbial growth, oxidation, organoleptic deterioration and for color intensity; a concentration step and a filtration or centrifugation step, if required, to obtain stable, natural colors in an aqueous concentrate. a. forming a mixture comprising (i) a first material selected from whole fruit, fruit juice, fruit puree, fruit juice concentrate, dried powder form of fruits or juice, water insoluble part of fruits from Huito, Genipa Americana, and combinations thereof or of fruits of another plant of the Rubiaceae Family, which contains sufficient genipin or derivatives of genipin, including genipin gentiobioside, geniposide, geniposidic acid, and gardenoside, capable of reacting with other compounds to produce a colored product; (ii) an edible second material selected from - other fruit, fruit juice, fruit puree, fruit juice concentrate, and dried fruit powder; - vegetable, vegetable juice, vegetable puree, vegetable juice concentrate, and dry vegetable powder; - grain powders, grain solutions, and grain paste; - legumes, oilseeds, nuts and seeds powder, solution and paste; - tea, seaweeds and other plant materials; and - animal materials selected from milk, eggs; skeletal muscle, non-muscle organs, skins and other animal materials from mammal animals, poultry, seafood, and reptiles comprising amino acids, polypeptides, proteins, or compounds with one or more primary amine groups; the second material being selected to provide components resulting in the desired color; (i) a first material selected from whole fruit, fruit juice, fruit puree, fruit juice concentrate, dried powder form of fruits or juice, water insoluble part of fruits from Huito, Genipa Americana, and combinations thereof or of fruits of another plant of the Rubiaceae Family, which contains sufficient genipin or derivatives of genipin, including genipin gentiobioside, geniposide, geniposidic acid, and gardenoside, capable of reacting with other compounds to produce a colored product; (ii) an edible second material selected from - other fruit, fruit juice, fruit puree, fruit juice concentrate, and dried fruit powder; - vegetable, vegetable juice, vegetable puree, vegetable juice concentrate, and dry vegetable powder; - grain powders, grain solutions, and grain paste; - legumes, oilseeds, nuts and seeds powder, solution and paste; - tea, seaweeds and other plant materials; and - animal materials selected from milk, eggs; skeletal muscle, non-muscle organs, skins and other animal materials from mammal animals, poultry, seafood, and reptiles comprising amino acids, polypeptides, proteins, or compounds with one or more primary amine groups; the second material being selected to provide components resulting in the desired color; - other fruit, fruit juice, fruit puree, fruit juice concentrate, and dried fruit powder; - vegetable, vegetable juice, vegetable puree, vegetable juice concentrate, and dry vegetable powder; - grain powders, grain solutions, and grain paste; - legumes, oilseeds, nuts and seeds powder, solution and paste; - tea, seaweeds and other plant materials; and - animal materials selected from milk, eggs; skeletal muscle, non-muscle organs, skins and other animal materials from mammal animals, poultry, seafood, and reptiles b. co-processing said mixture, said co-processing comprising a first heating step being performed at a temperature of 4 - 50 °C, a second heating step being performed by applying a sufficient heat treatment at 50 - 95°C to stabilize the mixture against microbial growth, oxidation, organoleptic deterioration and for color intensity; a concentration step and a filtration or centrifugation step, if required, to obtain stable, natural colors in an aqueous concentrate.