Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs

April 20, 2003

Hey thanks- I was looking for something more in depth than what I have in my

book " festivels, family and food " (which is quite good...)

:-)

Michelle

April 20, 2003

Thanks, I've often wandered how to color eggs the natural way, I saved it. Have

a Happy Holiday....BB...MiaStarr

-

chrisziggy

Saturday, April 19, 2003 6:48 PM

Natural Dyes For Easter Eggs

Here are several different articles on dying Easter Eggs with natural

ingredients ... I have successfully done this for years now, and I

really enjoy it! Back when I lived in NYC and was a manager at a health

food store (Quantum Leap), I once did an Earth Day demonstration on how

to do this, and it was a big hit! Maybe by next year I'll have my own

article written on the subject

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

Sale Ends Sunday!

Deep Green Hemp Seed Oil

Edible, Unrefined, Organic, No GMO's

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs

All you need is the kitchen

by Marion Stirrup

Natural egg dyeing is as simple as making a cup of coffee, with

ingredients from your kitchen or your garden. Naturally dyed eggs with

their subtle earth tones look elegant. You can turn eggs into beautiful

gems using onion skins, paprika or shredded cabbage. Rubber bands make

plaid and stripe patterns; strips of cloth produce a Sixties tie-dye

look, and masking tape yields batik eggs. Experiment with stick-on vinyl

letters and numbers, or etch designs through paraffin wax. Most of all,

have fun.

Dye techniques: cold dip Vs hot dip

There are two ways to dye Easter eggs naturally. The first is the

cold-dipping method, which produces soft, translucent shades. The eggs

and ingredients are boiled separately. After the dye has cooled and been

strained, the eggs are dipped for 5 to 10 minutes, then dried on paper

towels. To avoid uneven coloring, continuously rotate the eggs.

The second method involves boiling the eggs in the dye. This technique

allows for darker colors. As the eggs roll around in the hot water, they

take on a more uniform color. Here's the basic hot-dye method (with

variations to follow): To dye 8 eggs, use 2 tablespoons of white vinegar

per quart of water. Place eggs in non-aluminum saucepan and add water

until level is at least 1 inch above the eggs. Add natural dye

ingredients and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20

to 30 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.

How to create different effects

Batik eggs:

Batik is an Indonesian method of hand-printing cloth by brushing melted

wax on to the parts that are not to be dyed. Making batik eggs also uses

melted wax, where the eggs are alternately dipped in colored dyes, and

designs are added by painting on melted wax. You can also use masking

tape to produce very interesting results.

Cut out designs from masking tape, or use vinyl stick-on letters and

numbers (available from art and office supply stores) and stick them

onto your egg. Dip the eggs into dye. Remove them from the dye and blot

any drips that form with a paper towel. When they are dry, remove the

tape or stick-ons. With batik dyeing, it's a good idea to start with the

lightest dye and work your way to the darker ones. If you want to keep

an area a certain color, you must cover it so it resists the dye. Use

masking tape, crayons or hard paraffin to draw on the designs.

Half-and-half eggs:

Dip dyed eggs into a second coat of darker dye to add a whole new color.

The first coat is boiled and the second is cold-dipped for 5 to 10

minutes. To cold-dip, place egg in a small glass bowl or paper cup and

prop it up against the side. Some great color combinations include

coffee and blueberry; turmeric and red cabbage; and onion skins and

cranberry.

Onion wraps:

Rub eggs with vinegar and wrap in onion skins. Secure the skins with

cotton string, dental floss or narrow rubber bands. When boiled, the

skin's dye colors the shells giving a natural tie-dye effect. To achieve

a full, rich effect, practice using many layers of onion skins.

Pre-dampening the skins also helps them stick to the egg.

Tie-dye and plaid stripes:

There are many techniques to create a strong tie-dye effect. The first

is to double-dip eggs wrapped with rubber bands to create contrasts. For

example, fasten a band around a white egg. Dip in red cabbage dye. The

exposed area will turn blue, leaving the covered areas white. Or soak an

egg in red cabbage juice until it turns bright blue. Once dry, wrap a

rubber band around the egg, and dip in cold onion dye for a dark mustard

color with bright blue stripes.

Dampening strips of cloth with water and wrapping it around the egg

creates another tie-dye look. With an eye dropper, drop spots of

different colors on the cloth. Twist or tie the cloth strips tightly

around the egg so the colors blend together. Gently unwrap the egg and

let it dry.

Free-form stripes:

Wrap eggs with dental floss and/or different sizes or rubber bands.

Blotchy pastels:

Rub berries such as blueberries, currants, cranberries or blackberries

right on the shells for soft blues and pinks.

Dye colors and recipes:

Ingredients from the kitchen often yield surprising results. For

example, an egg dipped in red cabbage solution will turn blue, not red.

A brown egg, boiled in red cabbage dye and then soaked overnight, will

come out a deep royal blue.

Red: red onion skins, pomegranate juice

Pink: cranberry juice, 3 to 4 cups of rhubarb stalks, raspberries, red

currants, or shredded beets. (If those same " beet " eggs are rinsed with

lukewarm water right after boiling, they will turn beige.)

Lavender: purple petunias or pansies, violets, grape juice. For a darker

lavender use 4 cups frozen or fresh blueberries

Yellow and gold: For each quart of water add 3 tablespoons of turmeric

and 2 tablespoons white vinegar. Also try yellow mustard, curry powder,

dandelion and daffodil blossoms.

Rich brown: boil eggs in 1 quart coffee

Green: Add a few eggs next time you cook spinach (chopped frozen works

great)

Blue: Coarsely chop 1/2 head of red cabbage; soak overnight for a deep

royal blue

Chartreuse: Boil in 3 tablespoons of turmeric, then cold dye in red

cabbage

Brick red-orange: 4 tablespoons paprika per quart of water

Experiment with different fruits, vegetables or spices for color. You

can generally add up to 4 cups of fruits and vegetables per quart of

water. Look to your yard and garden for other possibilities such as

ferns, grasses and flowers.

Easter egg safety

-Keep eggs refrigerated before boiling.

-Wash your hands thoroughly before handling the eggs.

-If you won't be coloring the eggs right after cooking them, store them

in the refrigerator.

-When hiding eggs avoid areas where they might come into contact with

pets, wild animals, birds, reptiles, insects or lawn chemicals.

-Refrigerate your eggs again after they have been hidden and found, and

don't eat cracked eggs or eggs that have been out of the refrigerator

for more than two hours.

-Don't eat eggs that sit around in hot water for many hours or

overnight. Save those for decorations only.

-If your egg hunt involves hard-boiled eggs, it's wise to keep track of

how many the Easter Bunny hides. If you don't find an egg on Sunday, you

might be smelling it by Wednesday.

" Over the Hedge " :

" April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers. "

Edna St. Vincent Millay

" Spongy April. "

William Shakespeare

Here's a great Easter egg activity for family and friends: Gather around

a table. Each person takes and egg and draws " hair " on it with a

permanent marker or crayon. Then each one passes their egg to the person

to their right. That person draws the eyebrows. Pass the eggs around,

drawing eyes, noses, freckles, glasses and so on until all the face

parts are done. Dip in dye if you like. If you need inspirations, get

the Sunday comics.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Natural Dyes For Easter Eggs

Dyeing eggs with vegetable material takes more time than using

commercial egg dyes, but it is truly amazing to see the colors hidden in

the plants around us.

General directions:

a. Wash and rinse eggs before dyeing to remove any oil or coating

which may prevent the dye from taking.

b. Boil eggs 3 hours, if you wish to keep them.

· If the eggs do not crack, over time the contents will dry

inside the shell.

c. Boil the plant material until you have a good rich color.

d. Strain the dye, discard the plant material, return the dye to

the pot.

e. Use enamel or Teflon coated pot for dyeing.

· Metals such as tin, aluminum, and iron will change the color

of the dye.

f. After your eggs dry, use a vegetable oil and soft cloth to

polish them.

g. Remember that natural dyes can also be toxic.

h. The safety of the following dyes was verified through the

Poison Control Center.

i. The colors:

1. A soft, robin's egg blue is obtained by boiling red cabbage.

SAFE

· Slice the cabbage.

· Cover with water and boil for 30 minutes.

· Let the cabbage dye cool.

· This dye will look purple, but will dye the eggs blue.

· Cabbage dye does not work when it is very hot. It will only

dye the eggs when it cools.

2. Orange and a rich, reddish brown are obtained from onion skins.

SAFE

· Gather the dry outer skins of onions. It takes several cups of

skins.

· Cover with water and boil for about 30 minutes.

· Add the eggs. Watch the color.

· You can dye various hues of orange to brown depending on

length of time in the dye.

3. A clear, bright yellow is obtained from the inner bark of apple

branches. SAFE

· Prune a few small branches (not limbs) from an apple tree.

· Scrape the bark into a pot.

· Cover with water and boil for about 30 minutes.

· To roughly 3/4 cup of bark and 2 quarts of water, add 1 scant

teaspoon of alum.

· The alum will bring out the yellow dye.

Please remember that some dyes are toxic. If you experiment with other

plant material, please do not eat the eggs without verifying the safety

of the dye.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For vibrant hues, use natural ingredients as dye

By JESSICA STUMP

Avalanche-Journal

Skip the messy artificial dyes when making Easter eggs this year.

Instead of going to the store for supplies, check your kitchen for the

ingredients to make beautifully colored eggs.

Mother Nature is offering a rainbow of colors that can be produced with

all natural ingredients.

Dying eggs with natural ingredients is a simple process. A variety of

foods can be used, ranging from fruits to vegetables to spices.

Heinz Vinegar recently conducted a survey about the most popular

ingredients used to dye eggs naturally.

Top pick was using fresh blueberries. The berries give the eggs a dark

purple sheen.

Next in line was raspberries which give the eggs a lovely shade of pink.

To color the Easter eggs with natural items, the coloring ingredient is

added to the water. The coloring agent and eggs are boiled together.

This allows the eggs to be cooked and dyed at the same time.

Heinz Vinegar offers some tips for making Easter eggs with natural

ingredients.

±``Remove impurities from raw eggs by wiping them gently with a clean

cloth dipped in vinegar. Place 6 to 8 eggs in a single-layer saucepan

and fill with tap water until level is 1 inch above eggs.

±``Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water which provides

insurance against cracking. Then add your natural ingredients for custom

colors.

±``Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20

minutes. Remove eggs with slotted spoon on paper towels to dry. For even

deeper shades, strain the mixture and refrigerate eggs in liquid

overnight.''

For youngsters who want more than plain colored eggs, patterns can be

added to the orbs by using more natural elements, according to Heinz.

Adhering leaves or other natural items can add patterns to the eggshells

before cooking.

The decorations can be held on the raw egg by simply wrapping fine

thread around it.

After the eggs are done and ready to be put on display or hidden, rub

the eggs with a soft cloth dipped in vegetable oil to produce a radiant

shine, according to information from Heinz.

Parents should take care if the eggs are to be eaten.

Salmonella enteritis can infect eggs left out too long, according to

wire reports.

To ensure that eggs eaten are safe, they should not remain at room

temperature for more than two hours, ``or one hour if the temperature is

90 or above,'' according to the report.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dying Easter Eggs--the Natural way!

This Easter, why not color your eggs using nature's very own dyes? It's

possible to come up with a great number of colors using natural

ingredients that can easily be found in almost any kitchen.

Pale Red: Fresh beets or cranberries, frozen raspberries

Orange: Yellow onion skins

Light yellow: Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed or ground

cumin

Yellow: Ground turmeric

Pale green: Spinach leaves

Green-gold: Yellow Delicious apple peels

Blue: Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves

Beige to brown: Strong brewed coffee

To dye the perfect Easter eggs the natural way, here's what to do:

1. Put eggs in a single layer in a pan. Pour water in pan until the eggs

are covered.

2. Add about a teaspoon of vinegar.

3. Add the natural dye appropriate to the color you want your eggs to

be. (The more eggs you are dying at a time,

the more dye you will need to use.)

4. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the substance you used to color the eggs. Put eggs in a bowl.

If you want your eggs to be a darker shade, cover them with the dye and

let them stand overnight in the refrigerator.

March 7, 2005

Natural Dyes For Easter Eggs

Dyeing eggs with vegetable material takes more time than using commercial egg dyes, but it is truly amazing to see the colors hidden in the plants around us.

General directions:

Wash and rinse eggs before dyeing to remove any oil or coating which may prevent the dye from taking. Boil eggs 3 hours, if you wish to keep them.

If the eggs do not crack, over time the contents will dry inside the shell.

Boil the plant material until you have a good rich color. Strain the dye, discard the plant material, return the dye to the pot. Use an enamel or teflon-coated pot for dyeing.

Metals such as tin, aluminum, and iron will change the color of the dye.

After your eggs dry, use a vegetable oil and soft cloth to polish them. Remember that natural dyes can also be toxic. The safety of the following dyes was verified through the Poison Control Center. The colors:

A soft, robin's egg blue is obtained by boiling red cabbage. SAFE

Slice the cabbage. Cover with water and boil for 30 minutes. Let the cabbage dye cool. This dye will look purple, but will dye the eggs blue. Cabbage dye does not work when it is very hot. It will only dye the eggs when it cools.

Orange and a rich, reddish brown are obtained from onion skins. SAFE

Gather the dry outer skins of onions. It takes several cups of skins. Cover with water and boil for about 30 minutes. Add the eggs. Watch the color. You can dye various hues of orange to brown depending on length of time in the dye.

A clear, bright yellow is obtained from the inner bark of apple branches. SAFE

Prune a few small branches (not limbs) from an apple tree. Scrape the bark into a pot. Cover with water and boil for about 30 minutes. To roughly 3/4 cup of bark and 2 quarts of water, add 1 scant teaspoon of alum. The alum will bring out the yellow dye. Please remember that some dyes are toxic. If you experiment with other plant material, please do not eat the eggs without verifying the safety of the dye.

Kerry

Argue not with dragons, for thou art crunchy and go well with brie

"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus"

No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans - John Lennon

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

“Then I will tell you a great secret, Captain. Perhaps the greatest of all time. The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this station and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars themselves. We are starstuff, we are the universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out. As we have both learned, sometimes the universe requires a change of perspective."

Babylon 5

"It is never too late to become what you might have been "

~~George Elliott