BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!

Subject: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 10:25 AM

Yesterday, I told Micca - the Chemist, Morgan - the Grandson and I were going to dye easter eggs this morning after boiling them last night. He asked what we used for colours and I told him just the usual dye kits we get at the store which one mixes with water and vinegar. He told me if I boiled them in water with onion skins, they would turn a lovely shade of yellow. We did two of them that way; had very little skin available but it worked! They are a beautiful yellow. Now, I am wondering if the purple skinned onions would do the same yet turn out purple. I intend to find out. What fun!

Thanks, Micca!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: CarolC
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 10:26 AM

Water colored from beets would probably work if the purple union skins don't.

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 11:03 AM

Dip them in red wine. That works too.

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 11:30 AM

Red cabbage makes blue water, will prob. need vinegar as a fasting agent. Yes, beet juice makes nice red eggs. Blueberry juice makes blue eggs too. Turmeric or saffron will make yellow....oh, what did I use for green....seems like it was minced raw parsley or some other green herb.....but maybe I mixed the turmeric water and the blueberry water. It's been a LONG time since I did it.

I did something like 12 doz eggs this way, for an SCA feast, but I peeled them first. The white takes colour better than the shell.

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: MMario
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 11:30 AM

I believe the red onions skins give more orange to brass shades.

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 11:41 AM

Kewl beans, folks! We will be trying more, once we've eaten all of the ones we've already done. I *knew* about veggies dyes, just never thought of them for easter eggs, duh!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: Micca
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 11:57 AM

The thing to remember with naturally occuring plant dies, especially with blue-red colours, is they are pH sensitive and therefore may be different in acid conditions!! the real good example is Red cabbage which goes blue to reddish purple!!

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 11:58 AM

As does Micca under the right conditions.

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: Micca
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 12:27 PM

Mary " and the horse...."

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: CarolC
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 12:36 PM

Liquid chlorophyll is available at health food stores. I use it as a nutritional supplement. A small amount of that in water would probably work great as an egg dye. It always turns my skin green if I spill any on myself.

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 12:49 PM

That explains a lot Carol :)

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: CarolC
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 12:52 PM

Not anywhere near as much as you might think.

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 12:57 PM

Good idea, Carol!

Subject: RE: BS: Thanks, Micca-the eggs turned out great!
From: Tig
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 06:16 PM

I wrap flowers and plant leaves round the egg first -leaving gaps between them, then onion skins and then a layer of kitchen roll held with an elastic band.

When you have hard boiled them you find flower and leaf patterns mixed with the onion colour. Primulas (primroses) and herbs work well.

Teabags give a brownish orange - if you can find any pale eggs to do it with. This year I went through about 12 boxes exchanging dark brown eggs for paler ones just to get a dozen.