NATURALLY-DYED EASTER EGGS You can dye Easter eggs naturally using herbs, spices, and other natural products found in the spice aisle. Natural ingredients like herbs and spices offer an endless variety of hues for dyeing eggs - from the soft purple shades of hibiscus to the rich gold tones of turmeric. Dyeing times are a little longer and the colors less intense than with chemical-based dyes - but eggs are subtly stunning, original and natural. The dyes are made by bringing water, dyestuff, and a mordant (to help the colors penetrate the eggshell) to a boil in a non-aluminum pot. (Distilled water works best.) Raw eggs (white eggs work best, of course) can simply be cooked in the colored water and then soaked, or hard boiled eggs can be soaked in the cooled dye water until the desired color is reached. (Leaving overnight in the refrigerator intensifies colors.) Natural mordants include alum, cream of tartar, and white vinegar. One tablespoon of mordant should be added for each cup of water. Heres a list of some herbs and spices to use as dyes and the colors they yield: Hibiscus flowers - Reddish blue/lavender Turmeric root powder - Deep gold Safflower petals - Pale yellow Curry powder - Pale orange Chili powder - Reddish brown Paprika - Orange Dill seed - Soft brown Yarrow - Tannish yellow Other natural products that make lovely dyes include annatto seed, beet juice or beet powder, berries, coffee, grape and cranberry juices, lemon and orange peels, red cabbage leaves, tea, and onion skins (red and yellow). Courtesy of Frontier Coop
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:32:33 +0000
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