In every Christian family, Easter is not complete without the main symbol - colored eggs. Traditionally, they are painted red in memory of the shed Blood of Christ. Manufacturers of food coloring offer it easy, and most importantly quickly, to achieve the desired result. Buyers are offered not only traditional red, but also yellow, green, blue and even gold. “Biblical Stories”, “Easter Golden Set”, “Krashenka” - the range of sets is quite wide, and the cost is low. But how safe is it? Doesn't such decoration turn a food product into a souvenir? Let's figure out what egg paints are made of and whether it's worth using them.
Mixtures for coloring eggs are based on synthetic dyes, since they have a significant advantage over natural ones. They produce bright colors and are less sensitive to temperature influences. But not every package contains the full chemical composition. Often the manufacturer limits himself to a meager mention of “food coloring.” On other packages you can read the composition, which includes all kinds of E, salt or sugar. The use of the latter does not mean that such a dye can be consumed directly as food.
What's behind the E codes?
E-171 – titanium dioxide. Used as a white dye. A completely harmless food additive. Allowed in all countries.
E172 – iron oxide and hydroxide. There are black iron oxide E172i, red iron oxide E172ii and yellow iron oxide E172iii. The additive is approved for use in Russia and in all countries of the European Union, except Germany.
Azo dyes:
E102 – tartrazine. Colors food yellow. A popular dietary supplement, but with a tarnished reputation. Tartrazine, together with benzoic acid, disrupts the functioning of the gallbladder, causes hyperexcitability syndrome in children, allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock. Banned in Norway and Austria.
E110 – sunset yellow. Recognized as dangerous and banned in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
E122 – carmoisine (azorubine). Gives the product a color from red to burgundy. Provokes allergic reactions. Banned in the USA, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Japan.
E124 – crimson 4K. Leads to the development of hyperactivity in children, dangerous for people sensitive to aspirin.
Triarylmethane dyes:
E133 – shiny blue. Causes allergies.
When using synthetic dyes, the following may occur:
- impaired concentration;
- allergic reaction;
- hyperactivity in children;
- increased excitability;
- may be dangerous for people with bronchial asthma.
So is it worth using synthetic dyes? After all, they are prohibited only in some countries, and they are applied to the shell, but it is not eaten.
Egg shells have pores, and the shell can crack during cooking, so there is a high probability of dye getting into the food product. It is quite difficult to predict what concentration will ultimately be eaten. You can use dyes, but exclude them from the diet of young children, people suffering from allergies and bronchial asthma. Better yet, use these eggs only to decorate the Easter table.
An alternative to food coloring is thermal labels. This method is simple, safe, and does not require significant time.
The most reliable coloring is using onion peels. It definitely won't cause any health problems. Tested for generations!
How many ways how to paint eggs for Easter you know? Are they all safe? Of course, dyes are the main attribute of the holiday, a talisman for your family and a gift for loved ones. But we will decorate the Easter egg natural means.
Painted eggs - choosing safe methods
It would seem that nothing could be easier - I bought ready-made food coloring and there were no problems: painting would not take much time.
But if you have children in the family or you simply prefer natural dyes for eggs, then it is better to remember proven folk recipes to definitely exclude any chemicals.
All shades of red
An excellent natural dye for eggs is regular beetroot. Previously, beautiful girls used to put blush on their cheeks, but we will paint eggs for Easter.
Our paints can turn out very different in color saturation: soft pink, bright red or dark burgundy.
There are several ways to dye eggs with beets:
- You can keep boiled eggs in beetroot juice (freshly squeezed). Leave it overnight and you will get a rich burgundy shade;
- Another option is to grate 2 peeled beets coarsely, add water, add vinegar (1 teaspoon is enough) and boil the mixture for 7-10 minutes. The dyed eggs will become richer in color the longer we keep them in the broth;
- You can get the colors by simply treating the shells with finely grated beet pulp, or by boiling the eggs together with root vegetables (then we use them for a salad or vinaigrette).
What other natural dyes can be used to obtain red? For example, red onion peel: first make a decoction from it, and then boil eggs in it.
Orange to brown
Dyed eggs of different shades: from red to brown are obtained using a decoction of the peels of ordinary onions. Until now, this classic of the genre has not lost its popularity - it is a budget-friendly and environmentally friendly way to dye eggs for Easter.
And again, the intensity of the color depends on the concentration of the decoction and the time the eggs are kept in it.
How to paint the shell orange - other natural dyes for eggs will help here: you need to keep them for 2-3 hours in carrot juice or paprika diluted with hot water.
Ground coffee, strong brew or shell walnut will give the eggs shades from light beige to brown: cook longer - you will get darker colored eggs.
Sunny shades
If you want a yellow dye, another natural dye will come in handy: turmeric. Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of seasoning in hot water, bring to a boil and cook the eggs in the solution until they give the desired shade.
Another way to paint eggs yellow? You need to make a decoction of young birch leaves, and when it is infused, boil the eggs in it for 10-15 minutes.
Blue-green color scheme
How to dye eggs blue? We use the following natural dyes for eggs: red grape juice, red cabbage decoction, blueberries (fresh and canned).
Dyed eggs can also turn out blue if the solution is more concentrated. A rich purple hue can be achieved by boiling eggs for a long time in a decoction of red onion peels.
How to paint a shell green? This is the most difficult thing, because young nettles do not always appear by Easter (after all, the holiday can be early). Another green tint is achieved when eggs are boiled with spinach. But a bright, intense tone is unlikely to work.
How to dye eggs in different colors with natural dyes - watch this video:
Easter egg decoration
What and how to decorate eggs to make it cute and safe?
A rather unusual effect can be achieved if an egg is moistened with water, dipped in buckwheat or rice, wrapped in gauze, tied tightly and cooked in natural dye. And when you unfold it, you will see how nice this paint looks.
The abstraction effect is achieved this way: eggs need to be wrapped in onion skins, secured with gauze and boiled in paint. It will work out interesting drawing There are all sorts of stains on the shell.
Another way to decorate eggs using natural dyes? Let's make paint from powdered sugar: take one glass of it, dilute it a little with some water - the mixture should be thick. We fill a pastry syringe with this mixture and draw patterns on the eggshell, already painted with some kind of natural paint.
Dyed eggs can be made even more beautiful (pardon the pun) by using sprinkles, which we usually use to decorate Easter baked goods. Lubricate the egg with white, sprinkle with sprinkles and get a real decoration for the Easter table.
How to decorate eggs using wax? This will give us a real pysanka. Take a hard-boiled egg, dip a match into the melted candle wax and draw a pre-selected or invented pattern on the shell. Place the future pysanka in paint (just not hot, so that the wax does not melt).
As a result, the pattern will not be painted under the layer of wax, and the rest of the surface of the egg will acquire the desired color. Let's remove the wax and admire the result. Learn more about this coloring in this video:
Another way to decorate eggs using ancient techniques? We take paints, preferably dark colors, with a pencil we apply the desired pattern to the shell, and then we will scratch it out with something sharp: an awl, scissors, a thick needle, a sharp knife.
You can also beautifully decorate eggs with cereal: boil them hard, coat them with paste and lay out any chosen pattern on the surface with rice, millet, lentils, even black peppercorns.
Painted eggs are well decorated with the most different ways: beads, buttons, braid, bows, lace can easily be placed on the paste.
And craftswomen who know how to knit or crochet can knit cute clothes for eggs from multi-colored threads - a very original Easter gift.
Easter eggs are also painted using a marker, felt-tip pen, acrylic and gouache paints, and wax crayons. But doubts arise about the safety of such decor. It is better to use such eggs for decorative purposes, to give them as gifts, but not to eat them.
Another similar way to decorate eggs for Easter is the so-called “silk” dyeing.
You need to take scraps of natural silk, wrap white eggs in them, secure them with threads and boil them in water with the addition of vinegar.
Little "egg" secrets
There are some secrets to proper coloring easter eggs, they are simple, but you need to know them. Then the process will be more successful.
So, here they are - little “egg” tricks:
- Wipe the eggs with alcohol, then the paint will lie on the shell more evenly.
- It is best to boil eggs at room temperature; freshly removed from the refrigerator they may burst. Also, to avoid this, add a spoonful of salt to the water.
- It is preferable to paint eggs white.
- To make the color more intense, table vinegar is added to the water with paint.
- Rubbed colored eggs vegetable oil- they will then shine beautifully.
What are the ways to dye eggs using natural means? Watch this video:
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 from 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 color eggs 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 2-3 tablespoons of turmeric to hot water, 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, add hot water, add vinegar. Soak overnight to get deep Blue colour. 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.
One of the main symbols of Easter is colored eggs. Traditionally, they are dyed in onion skins, which gives the eggs their symbolic red color. But I really want it to be decorated not only with red, but also with multi-colored, unusual, painted colors.
The easiest way is to use food coloring for eggs. But even here, without knowing the rules and features of coloring, you can encounter a number of difficulties. Therefore, let’s figure out how to dye eggs for Easter with dyes. Moreover, we will consider both classical methods and unusual options coloring.
What you need to know about food coloring
In this material we will not discuss the safety of ready-made chemical dyes. Let's get acquainted only with the pitfalls of this problem.
Let us remind you that additives marked “E” included in such coloring products are harmful to health. Therefore, eggs, after being treated with dyes, often move from the category of food to the category of souvenirs.
Many people, without thinking about whether it is possible to eat food dyes for eggs, eat the egg whites that have been stained with paint. We advise you not to take risks and not give such eggs to children and allergy sufferers.
Many manufacturers add salt or sugar to the composition, which reduces the concentration of harmful chemical additives, but does not make the paint edible.
Often on sets of dyes such as “Krashenka”, “Easter set”, “Paint for eggs”, “Ukrasa”, etc. The manufacturer does not indicate the composition at all, but only writes that it is a food coloring.
But don't let your guard down. Even by the color of the dye you can find out what dangers lie behind it.
For those who are not familiar with the “chemical kitchen” of dyes, we have prepared a short explanation.
The most harmless dyes are E 100 and E 140. The first is obtained from curcumin and gives an orange, or less often red, color to the dye. The second is chlorophyll, which colors eggs green.
E 122 (carmoisine) is used to produce a red dye. Causes allergic reactions in people sensitive to aspirin.
E 124 gives a red color, but is prohibited for use in the food industry.
E 128 is another additive for obtaining a red tint. Due to the presence of aniline, it is prohibited for use by the European Commission.
E 102 or tartrazine is a yellow dye with a tarnished reputation.
E 132 is an additive in the form of synthetic indigo carmine, which is necessary to obtain green, blue and yellow colors. But the karma of this additive is complex: it causes suffocation in asthmatics, exacerbations in allergy sufferers with complications such as Quincke's edema.
The E 133 or Blue Shiny FCF is capable of the same feats as its previous brother.
E 142 or the green additive causes allergic rashes on contact - it is prohibited in a number of countries.
This frightening list can be continued endlessly. But this is enough to understand that the “food grade” label does not make the dye safe.
Organic dyes are truly safe. But this is very expensive and unprofitable for the manufacturer. That’s why we haven’t even heard of such dyes in stores.
How to properly color eggs with food coloring
If the question of whether it is possible to eat egg dyes does not bother you as much, we still suggest that you protect your loved ones and try to prevent the dye from penetrating the shell. To do this you will have to follow a few simple rules.
Choose eggs for coloring that are fresh and have a strong shell.
Remove the eggs from the refrigerator ahead of time to keep them warm. This will prevent the shell from cracking due to temperature differences.
It is advisable to wash the product before cooking. warm water, if necessary, use a brush and soap solution.
It is better to immerse the product for cooking in water at room temperature.
Some housewives add salt to the water when cooking. But this method will not prevent the formation of cracks, but will help the protein to curl faster and not leak out of the shell if splits occur. Such eggs are no longer suitable for dyeing.
It is better to cook in a wide pan and place the eggs in one layer.
Avoid boiling too much when boiling: the eggs will bounce when boiling too much and may break each other.
There are certain requirements for the dyes themselves for Easter eggs. When choosing a product, pay attention to the composition. At a minimum, the packaging should be marked “food grade”.
Important! Pearlescent dye for eggs is strictly contraindicated for consumption. It can only be used to decorate souvenir eggs.
The classic way to color eggs with food coloring
The dyeing method will largely depend on the type of dye itself. Powdered dry dyes are most often used for Easter eggs. You can find food coloring in tablets.
The principle of staining with such means is identical. But it is better to study the instructions before use, which indicate the recommended proportions.
The color indicated on the package will be obtained by dyeing white eggs. If dye is used on brown shells, the color may vary significantly.
Often brown eggs get a sloppy or dirty appearance after dyeing.
Keep in mind that the richer the dyeing solution, the brighter and darker the color of the shell.
Pre-boiled eggs are colored.
It is advisable to degrease the shell before painting. This can be done with vinegar or alcohol.
If using alcohol, wait 10-15 minutes after treatment to allow the product to evaporate from the surface. If salt was used during cooking, it must be thoroughly washed off before treating with an oxidizing agent.
Add a spoonful of vinegar to the prepared solution - this technique increases the acidity, which improves coloring.
Dip the egg into the solution, where we leave it for about 10 minutes.
After this, remove the paint from the liquid and leave it until completely dry.
It is better to dry the paints on an egg rack. But even in this case it is difficult to avoid the appearance of stripes.
It's better to make a special stand. To do this, insert pins or needles with caps into a foam sponge.
On such an improvised stand, painted eggs dry without streaks or streaks.
After drying, the paints can be treated with vegetable oil to give them shine. This can be done with a brush or directly with your hands.
In addition to the classical method, you can use
How to use liquid egg dyes
Liquid food dyes for eggs are available in packages such as plastic capsules or glass tubes.
The concentration of coloring matter in such products is much higher, and after application the crafts turn out bright and shiny.
Boiled eggs are also used for processing. We will work directly with our hands. Therefore, we put gloves on our hands to prevent the dye from being absorbed into the skin.
We apply a little dye directly to the egg shell and begin to rub the dye until the entire surface is covered. If necessary, you can add it directly during processing.
The process of applying liquid dye to eggs is shown in detail in the video:
For those who still prefer natural materials, we have prepared a selection
The custom of serving and giving each other colored eggs on Easter has a 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...
Dyes approved for use in the food industry are generally considered safe, but some of them can cause so-called pseudo-allergies in particularly sensitive people. Especially often the cause of such allergic reactions are azo dyes - 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.
More information about the situation on the Russian food coloring market can be found in the report of the Academy of Industrial Market Studies "The food coloring market in Russia."
