How to Make Easter Egg Dye
April 4, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Portland
• 0 Comments
How to Make Easter Egg Dye
Few things bring that warm and much anticipated feeling that spring is in the air like dying Easter eggs. Whether you are a kid, or a just a kid at heart, these bright colored beauties bring a certain amount of excitement and cheer to the season. Dying Easter eggs is a favorite amongst young children, adults and even those in the culinary industry. While it may seem like child’s play, the art of egg decorating can range from simplistic and fun to sophisticated and intricate. The culinary techniques behind creating these perfect edible and artistic eggs range depending on their purpose. This year, if you would like to forgo the store bought egg coloring packs, try making your own natural dye. This is one of the simplest yet pleasurable spring culinary techniques you will love. In fact, teaching your kids will feel like giving them a brief lesson for one of the many culinary schools in Portland!
1. Choose the colors you would like to use
Since making these natural dyes is a bit more complex than simply picking up a pack of dye tabs and vinegar, you may want to go with just three or four colors. Try blue, fuchsia, yellow and orange for a festive spring mix.
2. Prepare the dye
Start with the blue color by placing 2 handfuls of frozen blueberries and add 2 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove. Continue the same process using beet juice for fuchsia, lemon peels for yellow and onion skins for orange. If some colors do not seem bright enough, add another handful of material. Just remember for each handful, add another cup of water.
3. Cook the eggs
Once the dyes are cooling, take the time to boil the eggs. Typically it takes about 10 minutes of boiling for the eggs to become hard-boiled. In order to get the color to adhere smoothly to the egg shell, rinse each egg gently under warm water to remove any oils that may affect the ability of the dye to soak in.
4. Gather decorating materials
Be creative! Find Easter stickers or white crayons to draw designs on the eggs before you dye them. It will be hard to see your design at first, but once you dye them it will bring all the writing and designs out like magic.
5. Eat, decorate or hide these beauties
Decide what you are going to do with these beauties. They look great in a bowl as a centerpiece or for hiding around the house for the kiddies!
If you enjoy decorating and believe you have a flair for these types of culinary techniques, perhaps attending one of the culinary schools in Portland would be a great opportunity for you. One of the most well known of these culinary schools in Portland, Oregon is Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. Known for both traditional culinary arts and modern innovation, many choose to pursue their passion in one of the programs available..
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Portland for more information.
Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.chefs.edu/disclosures. Le Cordon Bleu® and the Le Cordon Bleu logo are registered trademarks of Career Education Corporation. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.