[Sca-cooks] Sarah's dyed Eggs

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

> Neat. You ponted out that you didn't have much luck with boiled
> greens to get a green dye. Would it work, if you ever do this again,
> to boil the eggs, then mash fresh greens with a little water in a
> mortar, strain, then color the eggs with that liquid, unboiled? I have
> had good luck using mashed parsley or other greens as a food coloring
> mixed into things like custards. I don't know how well it would stick
> on eggs, or how long it would stay green. I expect it might come off
> on people's fingers.
>
> Elizabeth /Betty Cook

I don't have any experience with coloring eggs, but ISTR that acids
help dyes penetrate the shell better.  Most of the Easter egg
recipes on the web that use natural dyes call for a little vinegar in
the boiling water.  Here's a site that explains it:
http://www.s-t.com/daily/03-97/03-30-97/e01li176.htm

As an experiment, how about following Mistress Elizabeth's
suggestion, but use either straight vinegar or a vinegar/water mix to
extract the juice from the greens.


Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
rcmann4 at earthlink.net