photo credit: kaktuslampa
Easter is just around a corner and you have probably made most of the planning and shopping for the holiday. And if you have kids, a big eggstravaganza is most likely number one on your list. So you’ve bought the organic or at least locally produced eggs and now you’re getting ready to dye them and make them pretty and fun… But did you know that most of the dyes on the market are made with potentially harmful coloring agents (FD&C Red 40 or FD&C Yellow 6) and petroleum derived ingredients? Once you think about, it isn’t something you would want to expose you kids to, if it could be avoided. Fortunately, it can. There are many ways in which colorful dyes can be made from plant-based ingredients, for example pomegranate, spinach or beets. They are not only save for you and your children but inexpensive and environment friendly as well.
The subsequent items provide a wide range of colors and textures to create an exceptional Easter basket:
• yellow—orange or lemon peels, carrot tops or shredded carrots, celery seeds, ground cumin, ground turmeric
• red/pink—beets or beet peels, juice from the pickled beets, red onion skins, pickled red cabbage juice, cranberries or cranberry juice, chopped rhubarb chalks, raspberries, red grape juice
• orange—yellow onion skins, paprika
• dark orange—chili powder
• green—spinach
• blue—red cabbage, blueberries or blueberry juice, blackberries, purple grape juice
• lavender—violet blossoms with two tablespoons of lemon juice, small amount of purple grape juice, small quantity of red onion skins
• brown/tan—dill seeds, black walnut shells, strong or instant coffee, tea
You can substitute canned vegetables for frozen or fresh ones, however the colors will not be as bright. Herbal or black tea will provide varying shades of greens, reds and browns.
In order to make 4 cups of dye, combine the following ingredients in a pot: 1 Tblsp of a spice or 4 cups of a chopped fruit or vegetable, 4 cups of water, 2 Tblsps of white vinegar (helps the dye stick to the eggs). Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15-30 minutes. The longer the mixture will simmer, the darker the color will become. Also, adding more of a particular component will result in a darker hue.
There are two methods of making a dye—hot and cold. If you choose the hot method, you can cook the eggs right in the mixture while it’s being prepared. With the cold method, however, you need to let the mixture cool and strain it. Dip the hard-boiled eggs in the dye for about 15 minutes (longer if you want a darker color).
So happy coloring and happy Easter!
