One of the main Easter traditions festive table- painted eggs. All helpful information about what kinds of egg dyes there are, what you should pay attention to when choosing them, as well as ideas for original design - in our shopping instructions.
Photo: depositphotos.comReady-made dyes
Store-bought dyes have long been competing with good old onion peels. They are brighter, and the choice of colors is much larger. If you want, you can even find fluorescent dyes. The simplest ones - those that are diluted in water - can be found in any store or market. There are also gel dyes- they are applied to the shell with a brush, so the color will be more saturated. The most pigmented - powder, they are used not only in, but also for decorating confectionery products. A food markers are useful for applying patterns or inscriptions to the surface of painted eggs.
Having decided on the consistency, do not be lazy to study compound, especially if you. After all, the eggshell has a porous structure, which means that you will subsequently eat part of the dye along with the egg.
Commonly used in egg paints food colorings:
- E-121(citrus red), E-123(red amaranth), E-128 (red) official prohibited In Russian federation.
- pay attention to E-107(yellow), E-110(yellow “sunset”), E-122(red), E-123(amaranth), E-124(green), E-155(brown). These dyes are contraindicated for people sensitive to aspirin.
- If you find in the composition E-122(Red color), E-102 (yellow), E-104(yellow- green color) or E-151(black shiny BN, Blue colour), then it is better to refrain from purchasing, since they are prohibited in many countries.
- E-140 or E-160(they give a yellow color due to beta-carotene) are considered completely harmless.
There is an alternative: natural dyes
However, there is a wonderful alternative to chemical dyes, and you can find it on the shelves of the grocery store. But be careful here: if you are allergic to a certain product, then it is better not to use it as a dye.
Original coloring techniques
If you want to surprise your guests and truly decorate your holiday table, then take note of simple and original ways decorating easter eggs. Materials and all the tools necessary for creativity can be found in any kitchen cabinet.
- An impressive result will be obtained if you attach lace leaves to unpainted eggs, carefully straightening them. parsley or dill.
- You can transfer any image to the shell by using technique, which is usually used to decorate boxes and gift wrappings.
- Speckled eggs made using rice. Roll wet eggs in cereal, wrap in gauze and color with natural or store-bought dye. Then remove the gauze: the places where the rice was adjacent to the shell will remain unpainted, creating grainy effect.
- Apply to shell geometric pattern will help scotch. Glue it, for example, with stripes, paint the eggs, and then remove it.
- For "marble effect" color the eggs after covering them with onion skins.
Dyeing Easter eggs is an ancient custom, but the range of pigments in Lately has changed significantly. And it turned out that some of the food dyes are not at all harmless.
The custom of serving and giving each other colored eggs at Easter is very ancient history. The question of how this custom appeared and what it symbolizes is certainly interesting in itself, especially since there are many versions and legends on this subject, but today I would like to dwell on a completely different aspect of it.
We will talk about how you can and cannot dye eggs, not from the point of view of religious canons, but from the point of view of the influence of certain dyes on human health. This question is all the more relevant because in any German supermarket they sell, firstly, ready-made, that is, boiled and painted, Easter eggs, and secondly, bags with special paint for eggs. Both ready-made eggs and paints are available for every taste: red and purple, green and blue, gray and even black, matte and glossy. But how safe are they?
Onions, beets, elderberries...
Previously, as you know, eggs were painted all by themselves, using natural pigments. Most often, onion peels were used for this purpose: with its help, you can obtain a spectrum of colors from light beige to dark brown. And the peel of the red onion made it possible to give the eggshells even a purple color.
In addition, beets, carrots, elderberries, rowan berries, red cabbage, black currants, ivy leaves, oak, apple and pear bark, lilac flowers, spinach, nettle, chamomile, cumin, saffron, tea, coffee, and sometimes - if available - even more exotic products.
Chemistry
However, with the advent of chemical dyes, natural pigments began to be used less and less, since they were inferior to synthetic ones in brightness, richness, and variety of colors. In addition, the food industry has put egg coloring on stream, and this, naturally, required standardized chemical dyes.
The only trouble is that with this flow technology, the dye sometimes penetrates into the egg through the pores and microcracks of the shell, so that the whites of store-bought Easter eggs often turn out to be slightly colored. Isn't this harmful to health?
E-102, E-104, E-122…
Colors approved for use in the food industry are generally considered safe, but some may cause serious sensitive people so-called pseudo-allergies. Especially often the cause of such allergic reactions azo dyes become nitrogen-containing compounds, the molecules of which are characterized by the presence of one or more N-N azo groups that bind aromatic radicals. Azo dyes can cause skin redness, itching, or even an exacerbation of neurodermatitis, or even an asthma attack, in allergy sufferers.
Since the packaging of any food products, including Easter eggs, contains a list of dyes used, we strongly recommend that customers prone to allergies study it carefully. If this list contains, say, designations such as E-122 (azorubine, red color), E-102 (tartrazine, yellow color), E-104 (quinoline yellow, yellow-green color) or E-151 (black shiny BN, blue color), then it is better to refrain from purchasing. Moreover, in many countries these dyes are generally prohibited. But E-140 (chlorophyll, green) or E-160 (bixin, yellow) are considered completely harmless.
However, the use of exclusively natural pigments is also not a panacea. After all, plant dyes can cause severe allergic reactions.
The Easter holiday is approaching. Soon Orthodox Christians will have to perform one of the ancient traditions of Easter - coloring Easter eggs.
Experts warn that you need to be careful when purchasing dye powders, since egg shells have a porous structure and harmful substances synthetic and mixed dyes penetrate into the protein.
Experts name 6 dyes that are dangerous to use for coloring eggs. They are listed on the packages as E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129.
Today you can find many chemical dyes in bright colors for eggs, but the most beautiful, healthy and even delicious are those dyes that are colored with natural dyes that our great-grandmothers used.
Natural dyes for eggs cannot give such a bright shade as chemical ones, but they are absolutely harmless and can paint eggs in very delicate and beautiful colors. So get the kids involved and work together to make dyes and color the eggs.
- You can also paint during the cooking process by adding coloring ingredients to the water (the water should completely cover the eggs), or you can paint already boiled eggs, then you first need to make a coloring solution (boil the coloring vegetables, fruits or spices with water), and then paint there is an egg in it (minimum coloring time is 30 minutes, but you can keep it all night).
- Before you start coloring the eggs, it is advisable to degrease them. To do this, the eggs must be thoroughly washed in a baking soda solution.
- Don't forget to add a tablespoon of vinegar to the paint broth.
Natural dyes. site photo
Basic recipes for natural dyes:
1. Red, brown (onion skins)
The color ranges from pale yellow to red-brown. It is recommended to soak the husks in advance, then the eggs will be more saturated in color. Take a lot of peels - at least 4 cups of onion peels (you can use peels from any onion, both red and yellow). Boil the eggs for about 30 minutes. Depending on the soaking time and the color of the egg shell, you will get:
- yellow husk: pale yellow to red-brown
- red husk: bright scarlet to dark red.
2. Delicate yellow
Option 1: Use turmeric as a dye. Add to hot water 2-3 tbsp turmeric, boil and cook for 15 minutes to intensify the color. Then immerse the eggs. The eggs will come out golden brown
Option 2: Prepare a decoction of young birch leaves and let it brew. Wash the eggs, place them in a warm infusion and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Orange color
4 tbsp. spoons of paprika should be boiled for 30 minutes in a saucepan with a glass of water, then place the eggs in the broth.
4. Pink color
Eggs can be soaked in cranberry or beet juice; lingonberries, raspberries, and cherries are also suitable. Fruits can be frozen or in juice form. You can soak already boiled eggs in the juice.
5. Blue and cyan color.
Two heads of finely chopped red cabbage, 500 ml water and 6 tbsp 9% white vinegar. Finely chop the cabbage and add hot water, add vinegar. Soak overnight to create a deep blue color. Immerse boiled eggs in this mixture and leave for a couple of hours. If you don't let it sit overnight, it will turn blue.
6. Green color
Option 1: Boil eggs with spinach. Chop the spinach finely (frozen is also suitable), add water to cover. Cook for 30 minutes and let cool.
Option 2: Boil eggs in dried nettle infusion (3 tablespoons of chopped nettle per liter of water).
Simple and useful tips that will make the shell color even and more saturated:
- After removing already colored eggs from the container where they were boiled, the eggs should not be rubbed with force with a towel. They should be rinsed by holding under running warm water and gently dried with a napkin or paper towel.
- To prevent eggs from cracking when dyeing, they should not be cold (from the refrigerator), they should be kept at room temperature for several hours and washed in warm water before dyeing.
- It is better to boil eggs in a thick-walled saucepan - this will protect the eggs from cracking. Eggs should be slowly brought to a boil and then cooked at a minimum boil.
- After coloring, you can wipe the eggs with sunflower oil, then they will acquire a stunning shine.
- If, after coloring, you put the eggs in the same broth in the refrigerator overnight, the color of the shell will be brighter.
Hello, dear readers. The event of the Resurrection of Christ is one of the most significant celebrations in the Christian world, celebrated annually. It is also called Easter. On this day, the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus is honored, which is considered a solemn and extremely significant victory of life, which was able to overcome death. Easter is one of the oldest and most important holidays of the liturgical year. And soon it will come. In 2017, this bright holiday will be celebrated on April 16. One of the traditional attributes and, at the same time, dishes on the Easter table are boiled eggs, which are usually painted (pysanky, painted Easter eggs). There are many rituals associated with them, in which both adults and children take part with pleasure.
But, no less entertaining is the painting of eggs itself. In order to complete it, incredible perseverance, concentration and, of course, a certain talent are required. Not everyone can “boast” of this.
Yes, not everyone needs the classic ones on the table or in the Easter basket. Most people are content with simply beautifully decorated (or simply dyed) eggs.
They really create a special atmosphere, mood and are a great substitute for Easter eggs. However, there is a potential danger in these Easter decorations/treats that many are not even aware of.
And this is not at all about the dangers of eggs as a product, not about their freshness and so on. We are talking about synthetic dyes, very common today, which have an extremely negative effect on the health of those into whose bodies they enter.
And now - attention: there is a more affordable, safer and smarter alternative to the method of coloring eggs using commercial products from the chemical "food" industry! These are natural dyes for eggs for Easter.
What and how to paint eggs for Easter?
On the eve of Easter, many housewives are wondering how and what is the best way to paint eggs. The answer is obvious: what is practically at your fingertips, but what you do not pay attention to due to your ignorance of these issues.
But today we will correct the situation by telling you what natural dyes can be used to quickly and easily color Easter eggs, resulting in a tasty, healthy, safe for health and very aesthetic product.
Most of these dyes are either already at your disposal or available for purchase at your nearest vegetable or almost any grocery store.
So, for coloring purposes, the following can be used with brilliant success:
✔ Onion peel.
✔ Turmeric (powder).
✔ Nettle or spinach.
✔ Red cabbage.
✔ Cranberries or beets.
✔ Grape juice.
✔ Strongly brewed black or green tea.
✔ Coffee.
✔ Blueberries.
And other products that are quite familiar to us, but have never been used for such purposes before. Well, if you are worried and concerned about your health, as well as the health of your loved ones, then the time has come!
TOP 10 natural dyes for eggs: what to choose, how to use
1. Yellow, brown colors
Onion peel. She, by full right, can top this list, since it is almost the most common and affordable ingredient for preparing excellent natural paint.
Eggs from it are obtained in a color spectrum from light yellow to dark brown. The shade depends on how concentrated the broth is, as well as how long you keep the eggs in it.
Yes, it is the decoction of onion peels that is needed for coloring.
All this is done as follows: take dry onion peel (an arbitrary amount of it), fill it with clean drinking water, place on the stove (electric or gas), bring to a boil, cook over low heat for about 10-13 minutes, after which the stove is turned off, and the broth is infused for another 15-18 minutes.
It is better to treat the eggs themselves, both with onion broth and other natural dyes, with a hot coloring liquid.
That is, eggs (which were previously boiled) need to be placed in onion broth for 2-4 minutes. This is how long it will take for them to get their color.
In chemical dyes this is done much faster. But who needs blue, red, green fingers and the same tongues?
It’s better to spend a little more time and get a better result by several levels.
Please note: eggs that can be dyed should also preferably be warm (but not hot), however, this is not fundamentally important: they can be dyed cold. We recommend that you collect the husks to prepare the paint in advance, as this is not a very fast process.
How much husk is needed: you will understand this on an intuitive level when you color eggs next year - for the second time. For the first time, take 1-2 handfuls of dry husks per 1 liter of water. It is not necessary to knead it.
2. Bright yellow, golden shimmer
Turmeric (powder). Its concentrated decoction produces a rich, superb golden yellow color.
If you want to get a light yellow color, take one teaspoon of turmeric; if it is more saturated, dark, concentrated, add two or three spoons.
This dose is calculated for a volume of drinking water of 1 liter.
How to prepare the paint: boil a liter of water in an enamel bowl, stir turmeric in the water, let it stand for 4-5 minutes, dip eggs in the solution for the same time.
Eggs can also be boiled in turmeric, but be prepared for the fact that the egg white itself, in some places, can also be colored yellow, since the eggshell, during the cooking process, can let the paint through.
3. Green color
Nettle will allow you to get it. You can also achieve this by using spinach. But, since nettle is one of the most common plants, especially on the eve of Easter, it was mentioned first.
So how do you make eggs green? A decoction should be prepared. It is prepared in an enamel bowl.
In general, all the paints we are talking about today need to be prepared in such a container. For 1 liter of water you need to take an arbitrary amount of coloring matter (in in this case- nettles or spinach), pour water over them, boil, leave for about 10 minutes.
That's it, you can paint eggs using the already known method. Or you can boil a little egg along with nettles or spinach. This will make the color darker.
4. Blue, light blue colors
Cabbage gives them. But, not the more familiar white one, but the red one. Ready-boiled eggs acquire this color when they are soaked in the infusion of this cabbage.
The more concentrated the infusion, as usual, the richer the color.
You can also adjust the color by soaking the eggs.
The principle works here: the longer, the darker. So, you need to take a mature, poured head of red cabbage, chop it finely, sprinkle with four to five tablespoons of ordinary kitchen 9% vinegar, add water so that the cabbage is completely covered with it, and another 3-4 centimeters on top.
5. Red color
It can be obtained from: beets, onion peels (red onions!), cranberries, raspberries, cherry bark. As is already known, the concentration of the color itself will depend directly on the concentration of the paint and the time of dyeing.
So - in all cases, when using any of the above paints. Beetroot dye: using a juicer, you can get natural juice (you only need red beets!). The juice, in the required proportions, is diluted with boiled heated water.
The paint is ready. The recipe for paint from red onion peels is the same as from white onion peels. Only the result will be visually different.
The berries can be used identically to red beets, or simply crushed and mixed with water. But the cherry bark needs cooking.
It is necessary to take an approximate amount of fresh cherry bark, place it in a bowl, add 5-6 centimeters of water, cook, bringing to a boil, for about 40 minutes.
Dye eggs only in hot broth. Therefore, if necessary, it will need to be reheated.
6. Lavender shade
It is achieved through the use of juice from red grape varieties.
At the same time, you can use not only fresh grape juice, but also canned one. In order for the eggs to color properly, you need to soak them completely in the juice for 5 minutes.
The juice should be warm, for this it is heated. To get a barely noticeable delicate shade, the juice can be diluted with boiled water, taking a small amount.
7. Brown color with a characteristic reflection
Strongly brewed black tea gives this effect. For lovers of this drink, most likely, everything is already clear.
For those who are only vaguely familiar with it, the following information will be useful. We make a concentrated (strong) brew.
To do this, take 100 grams of black loose tea per 1 liter of water. We boil water, pour it over the tea leaves, using a special teapot for this (or glass or enamel dishes, if a teapot of the required volume is not available).
Let it sit for 15 minutes. That's it, the paint is ready for its intended use. Dip eggs in it for 5 minutes.
8. Turquoise shade
Gives coloring to eggs in a weakly concentrated brew of loose green tea.
The method of preparing natural paint for Easter eggs, as well as the principle of coloring them, is identical to the previous one - using black tea.
But with the receipt of a different color - turquoise. Please note: for these purposes, green loose tea should be chosen, and not its varieties - yellow or white.
9. Chocolate shade
It is given by any coffee: both natural, in beans, and instant, for example, freeze-dried.
How to paint: a strong brew is made, naturally - no sugar is needed; boiled eggs are lowered into this brew (hot) for 2-3 minutes. That's it, the result will please you.
10. Orange color
It is distinguished by its special originality and brightness. A brighter orange color is obtained from carrot juice; a slightly duller shade, but also looking very good, can be obtained from sea buckthorn juice (its fresh berries).
Carrot juice, like juice from sea buckthorn berries, does not need to be diluted with water. They should be used immediately after squeezing. For carrots, you can use a juicer.
For sea buckthorn - the same device (note the presence of seeds in the berries), or the manual method. Dyeing the eggs should take about 2-4 minutes.
Stickers for Easter eggs
Sometimes the method of “painting” eggs rather than dyeing them is used. With its help you can also get good results. How aesthetically pleasing it looks can be judged subjectively by each individual person. WITH
actually, like about appearance eggs dyed using natural dyes, which are discussed today.
Special stickers for Easter eggs can be purchased at the store, supermarket, market, and so on.
The advantage of this method of “decoration” is the quick finishing of the eggs. The downside is that the stickers very often do not come off the shell well when you need to clean the eggs.
In addition, it is not always known what their composition is and whether it is safe for use or applicable to food products.
Exclusive recipe - original gray color
This recipe is not known to many. You just have to try it, as the color turns out to be unusual, unusual and even unique, like for Easter eggs.
Result - grey colour with a bluish tint.
To achieve this effect, fresh blueberries are used, from which the juice is extracted. Sometimes blueberry jam is used, but, let's face it, the effect, although it exists, is not so bright.
You just need to dilute the jam with boiling water (one tablespoon per glass of water). If you paint eggs in fresh juice, you need to squeeze it out in any convenient way and soak boiled eggs in it for 1-1.5 minutes, or use a paint brush.
Useful tips for coloring eggs with natural dyes
They will help you achieve best effect, putting a minimum of effort into this process. So, attention.
✔ In order for the natural paint to lie on the egg as evenly as possible and “stick” to the shell better, wipe them with cotton wool, kitchen vinegar (9%), or water in which a small amount of soda is dissolved.
✔ To prevent eggs from cracking in water during cooking, do not put them in boiling water. Place them immediately in the bowl, pour cold water and only then put it on fire.
✔ Eggs will cook faster if before the process of boiling them, 1 hour before it, you keep them at room temperature.
✔ It will be much better to clean the eggs if, after boiling them, you add boiling water and pour cold water over them, holding them in it for 10 minutes.
✔ Do eggs burst in boiling water? This will not happen if the water is salted. And even if a small crack forms, the contents will not leak out.
✔ A gorgeous shine to already painted eggs is ensured if, after the paint has completely dried, they are lightly rubbed with olive or sunflower oil.
At Easter, we often wonder how to dye eggs for the holiday at home, what safe dyes to use so as not to stain the eggs different flowers, were safe for both children and adults. I hope you have received the answer to this question.
Here are some simple, but very simple and effective recipes and tips. Take advantage and celebrate Easter with joy, pleasure and peace. All the best to you!
On the eve of Easter, the time comes for an old tradition - of course, we will talk about coloring eggs. This process is interesting and creative, and both adults and children participate in it with pleasure. In any supermarket you can find many ready-made stickers and stencils specifically designed for decorating Easter eggs, but many prefer to color eggs at home, trying to give each egg brightness and originality - and they often do this with the help of dyes, which are not used for coloring food products. worth it, and sometimes even completely unacceptable.
Why are colored eggs dangerous?
First of all, I would like to clarify: before Easter, they paint both eggs, which will later end up on the festive table and be eaten, as well as souvenir and gift blanks made of plaster, wood, and eggshells. In the second case, if safe paints are taken (for example, acrylic or gouache for children's creativity), and the product is completely dried and used only for decoration purposes, as a souvenir, small children do not play with it (who, as you know, like to try on the tooth is absolutely everything) the egg poses no danger. But cases of poisoning by eggs from the first group - those that are eaten after coloring - are, alas, not uncommon.
The outside of the egg is covered with a shell, onto which paint is applied. This shell is permeated with microscopic pores, and sometimes with tiny cracks, through which the dye or its components can penetrate inside the egg, making it hazardous to health. Which egg dyes are harmful, and which ones can be used safely?
Harmful dyes for eggs
Felt pens, markers, gel pens, oil, gouache, acrylic paints. A wide range of design materials in stationery stores beckon, giving birth to simply fantastic ideas in the minds of creative buyers. But they are absolutely not suitable for use with food, including eggs, since solvents, and sometimes even coloring ink pigments, easily penetrate through the pores in the shell. You can paint with felt-tip pens only on previously emptied shells and blanks made of plastic and wood.
Crepe paper, or« reaper» . Many children have noticed how easily delicate, crumpled paper gives off its color when wet. This effect of crepe paper is also associated with a popular method of coloring eggs, which are first wrapped in one or two layers of paper, then moistened and left for several hours. Despite the fact that, according to regulations, the paint used on the “reaper” must be non-toxic, it is still not intended for food products. Only dry eggs can be wrapped in crumpled paper, making them, for example, into elegant “flowers” or “sweets” to decorate a holiday table. If the egg and paper are dry, the dye will not penetrate inside the shell and the egg can be eaten.
Fabrics, threads. Recently, a method of coloring eggs has gained popularity by wrapping them in colored woolen threads or a piece of brightly colored fabric and boiling them. In this case, the fabric or threads literally “shed” onto the white shell, leaving beautiful patterns on it. This method is dangerous because the fabrics are dyed with rather toxic synthetic dyes, the contact of which with food products is unacceptable.
Coloring with carbon paper. A method that has come to this day from Soviet times, when “carbon paper” was widely used in office work. A hot egg was rubbed with the colored side of the paper - beautifully, quickly, and again, dangerous to health due to the absolute inadmissibility of the presence of such a dye on food products. By the way, paint from a carbon copy quickly eats into the skin, so you shouldn’t use it even with souvenir wooden blanks.
Manicure foil. Interesting way egg dyeing, in which the shell is smeared with glue, then a piece of manicure foil is placed on it, torn off, and as a result, beautiful metallic stains remain on the surface of the shell. Firstly, the glue may contain components hazardous to health, and secondly, the foil itself often contains an amount of zinc that exceeds the permissible values, which easily penetrates through the pores of the shell and causes harm to the body.
Food coloring for eggs. Manufacturers position them as absolutely safe, but it is worth remembering that in large quantities and at hypersensitivity the body's exposure to them can cause allergic reactions.
In addition, in our time of rampant capitalism, not all manufacturers behave honestly; the raw materials for such dyes are often purchased of low quality, and the packaging does not indicate the complete composition of the contents of the bag. In order for the coloring composition not to harm the body, the shell must be perfectly intact, which is almost impossible. It is better to do without ready-made dyes - especially if there are small children in the family.
How to dye eggs safely?
Brown-red color- onion peel. Simple, beautiful and safe: pre-boiled eggs are placed in a decoction of the husks and left for several hours, or better yet, overnight. If you put cracked eggs in a strong broth, you will get nice stains on the whites; if you leave the husks in the broth, the paint will form interesting spots. The widest field for experiments!
Sunny yellow color Turmeric diluted with hot water will give. The more powder, the more intense the color.
Pink color will give beet or cranberry juices.
Blue can be obtained by soaking an egg in hibiscus tea. The infusion has an intense red color, but when it dries, the egg turns blue.
Soft green color can be obtained by tossing the eggs with spinach puree (frozen spinach will also work, but you need to let it thaw).
Lavender shade will give the shell red grape juice.
Popular dyes iodine and brilliant green They are harmless to the body (if they are not on them), but they do not stick well, they stain your hands, and it is undesirable to use them.
What to do if you are poisoned by egg paint?
If, after eating an egg colored with dangerous dyes, you develop symptoms, you should immediately take Enterosgel, which will help the body quickly cleanse itself of the toxic components of the dye and (if your health does not improve) consult a doctor. But it’s better to use natural, safe dyes, eat fresh food, and for those who have been holding it, get out of it gradually, then there will be no poisoning or digestive problems!
