NATURAL EASTER EGG DYES FROM VEGETABLES AND HERBS
"Natural dyes, from vegetables and herbs, give rich, earthy colors to eggs."
To dye eggs naturally using the "cold-dip" method, combine the desired vegetable or spice from the list below with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and simmer 30 minutes.
Pour the vegetable and liquid through a sieve lined with a paper towel set over a bowl, saving the cooked vegetable, if desired. Let the liquid cool then stir in 1 tablespoon plain white vinegar.
Place hard-cooked eggs in the pigmented liquid for at least 5 minutes and up to several hours in the refrigerator for deeper colors. To ensure even dyeing, turn eggs occasionally. When you've reached the desired color, pat eggs dry with paper towels and let them dry a few minutes on a cake cooling rack with space in between the eggs.
The following is a list of naturally derived dyes. Experiment with other materials, but be sure to use only those that are edible.
Robin's Egg Blue:
1/2 head chopped red cabbage with 4 cups water.
Soft Olive Green:
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach and 3 cups water.
Rosy Pink:
3 beets, peeled and chopped, and 4 cups water. If eating the beets, boil until beets are tender.
Lavender:
Place eggs in robin's egg blue dye (red cabbage) for about 15 minutes and pat dry, then quickly dip in rosy pink dye (beets) then pat dry.
Cream or Mocha Brown:
4 cups double-strength brewed coffee. Leave egg in a few minutes for cream color, longer for deeper brown.
Ocher (Rusty Brown):
2 purple onion skins and 4 cups water.
Yellow:
3 tablespoons turmeric and 4 cups water. Bring water to a boil, stir in turmeric then pour liquid through strainer lined with paper towel, pressing on sludge with spoon. (Wash hands immediately after using. Turmeric stains yellow and may cause allergic skin reaction.)
Source: Jan Curry in The Raleigh News & Observer, March 27, 2002
DYEING EASTER EGGS
From: Elly 2-18-1998
Msg ID: 12144
With Easter not too far away, I was thinking today of how we used to dye eggs. We put the outer skins from yellow onions in the water while the eggs were boiling, this made really pretty brownish yellow speckled eggs. We also used some little packets of powder that we dissolved in water. (Maybe those are still available I don't know) The brand that we always used was "Flecks Easter Egg Dyes" made in Tiffin, Ohio. The best part of this story is: In 1951 in Toledo, Ohio at a roller skating rink, I met a young man from Tiffin, Ohio. His name was Jim Fleck and he was related to the Flecks who made the dyes we had used for years. We have been married for almost 43 years.
DYEING EASTER EGGS - NATURAL DYES
From: Elly 2-21-1998
Msg ID: 12209
I just came across a newspaper article that I cut out probably 20 years ago. A consumer service coordinator talks about natural Easter egg dyes:
- Using about 5 purple cabbage leaves in about 4 cups water produces an aqua color and the egg will be patterned like tie-dyed material.
- Frozen spinach boiled in water gives a light yellow color.
- Walnut shells give a buff color.
- Orange peel a tender yellow.
- Pear peel a yellow-green.
- Carrot tops a smoky yellow green.
- Yellow delicious apple peelings a lavender with soft rust flecks.
- Fresh oregano and mint a beige color.
- Thyme a pale grayish yellow-orange.
- Cranberries a grayish-lavender color.
These should all be boiled then cooled, preferably overnight and a little vinegar added to fix the colors. When added, the hard boiled eggs should also be cool, let stand in the colored water until desired color is reached, turning as needed. Refrigerate up to a few hours for darker color.
She also talks about dyeing peeled eggs by dipping them for about six minutes in a mixture of one cup water to 1 package of unsweetened drink mix (I assume she means kool-aid). These produce a brilliantly colored egg to spruce up a salad, she says.
Since my original posting I have come across a few more:
Fresh beets - pinkish red color
Ground turmeric - yellow
Canned blueberries -blue
Strong brewed coffee - beige to brown
Chili powder - brown-orange |