Easter is approaching, and chef Lauris Alekseev shares practical tips on how to dye eggs in natural and vibrant tones. He urges using eggs from hens that are not kept in cages, as well as products available at home, so that the holiday is not only bright, but also responsible. In order for everyone to celebrate the holiday joyfully and at the same time take care of the well-being of animals, Lauris Alekseev recommends using eggs from hens that are not kept in cages for dyeing eggs for Easter.
What home products to use for dyeing such eggs and what to pay attention to in order to achieve an especially beautiful result, says the chef. "Egg painting is an ancient family tradition in which everyone can participate. It is very easy to paint eggs from hens that are not kept in cages, and the necessary ingredients are often already at home. People rarely think that it is possible to brightly paint only white eggs, but I want to dispel this myth - after all, light brown and brown eggs can be decorated no less elegantly. The main thing is that the natural dye is darker than the shell itself, for example, hibiscus tea. But even lighter decoctions give the eggs character. It is important to remember: the longer the eggs stay in the decoction, the more saturated the color will be," explains Lauris Alekseev.
So many products - so many color options:
- Black color - charcoal, intended for grilling, can also be used for dyeing eggs. It will give the decoction a rich black color, good for dyeing even brown eggs.
- Red color - one of the most popular options, for which hibiscus tea and red wine are suitable. Hibiscus gives almost the same result on both light brown and brown eggs.
- Light purple and blue shade - such tones can be obtained with the help of frozen blueberries or red cabbage.
- Orange color - can be created with the help of spices, for example, turmeric powder.
- Green color - for giving a greenish hue, spirulina, known as seaweed, is suitable. A softer color will give a popular green matcha tea powder.
How long to keep in the decoction? In order for natural dyes to give the desired result, it is best to prepare the decoction for dyeing eggs in advance - the day before. "To prepare the decoction, take 2 liters of water and pour it into a medium-sized saucepan so that it covers the eggs. The amount of ingredient used depends on how intense you want to get the color - the more product, the more saturated the result. Then the decoction needs to be boiled for a minimum of 20-30 minutes over medium heat, after which leave it to cool completely and infuse," says Lauris Alekseev.
The next day, the eggs are placed in a cooled decoction and boiled over medium heat for about 10 minutes. After this, they are left in the liquid until completely cooled. If you want to give the eggs patterns or an interesting texture, before boiling they can be wrapped with quinoa, rice, chopped onion skins, buckwheat, greens, moss or other natural materials with a vibrant texture. So that the materials stick better, the eggs need to be slightly moistened with water.
Marley, nylon or a hat - what is more effective? One of the popular ways to wrap an egg is to use marley or nylon. The chef notes: "One of the most convenient and fastest ways is to use hats used in the food industry. This method has several advantages: the egg does not need to be wrapped with thread several times, and the dyeing process itself is simplified - the egg easily fits into the hat and is tied with a thread." When the eggs are ready, in order for the color to play even brighter, they should be wiped or greased with oil. And when the Easter egg fight begins, Lauris advises choosing the smallest ones in size - usually they are stronger.
Such eggs are safe for consumption. Painted eggs are an attribute of the main Orthodox holiday of Easter. You can give the eggs bright and natural shades with the help of spices that are found in the kitchen of every housewife, the Arguments and Facts channel reports. This method of coloring Easter eggs is ecological. The most popular spices are turmeric and paprika. Turmeric will give different shades of yellow, and in combination with hibiscus tea, an olive color. Paprika will color the shell of boiled eggs not in red, but in orange.
For dyeing, dissolve the spice in cold water, add vinegar to the water to fix the color and dip the eggs into the solution. Bring the water to a boil, cook for 10 minutes and leave the eggs to cool in the colored solution. After cooling, the shell can be additionally wiped with a cloth moistened with vegetable oil. This will give the Easter eggs a festive beautiful shine.
Earlier, we talked about how to dye eggs with a marbled pattern.
