Turmeric In My Basket
This is my first attempt at dying Easter eggs myself. Obviously I'm not going to use those really bright chemical dyes because I was raised right by hairy people. The yellow eggs you see there were dyed in turmeric powder, boiling water, and vinegar. I think they turned out quite nice. The other ones are a little bit strange. 
I was hoping to turn my strange experiment into a lovely antique-y looking patina but it just went from strange to stranger. The main point is that I actually made an effort. Easter isn't my favorite holiday anyway. Although I admit that I'm fascinated by the whole idea of celebrating famous dead people rising from graves, I mean, who isn't? Max loves Easter. I almost ruined it for him by telling him that most people get really excited about going to church on Easter week-end when he asked what other people do on Easter. He was very angry to find out it's a religious holiday.
The same upbringing that brought me turmeric dyed Easter eggs turned out to save a desperate moment. I remembered the other reason people celebrate Easter. The Easter celebration that is much older than Christianity: nature rising from the depths of winter with new life. Death being regenerated into life through earth's fertile soil and her eggs and the warmth coming back to hatch a few mosquitoes.
I do believe that it makes no difference whether you go to church to celebrate the idea of a human rising from the dead or whether you look out at all the buds swelling on the fruit trees on seemingly dead branches and celebrate that earth rises from death every year right in front of us- it's all the same celebration really. It's all about new chances and to be happy to be amongst those who made it through the winter.
Some things I learned about Easter egg dying this year:
I'm off now to stare at my wrecked house and maybe drool a little. Or do laundry.
The same upbringing that brought me turmeric dyed Easter eggs turned out to save a desperate moment. I remembered the other reason people celebrate Easter. The Easter celebration that is much older than Christianity: nature rising from the depths of winter with new life. Death being regenerated into life through earth's fertile soil and her eggs and the warmth coming back to hatch a few mosquitoes.
I do believe that it makes no difference whether you go to church to celebrate the idea of a human rising from the dead or whether you look out at all the buds swelling on the fruit trees on seemingly dead branches and celebrate that earth rises from death every year right in front of us- it's all the same celebration really. It's all about new chances and to be happy to be amongst those who made it through the winter.
Some things I learned about Easter egg dying this year:
- Blowing out eggs is disgusting if you loath the smell and taste of them raw.
- It's even more gross if the blowing out of the eggs is being commentated on by an eight year old boy. Ear plugs may be necessary in order to keep the nausea at bay.
- It is exponentially difficult to dye eggs in a vat of boiling water if you have hollowed them out first. They float and bob and one must wrestle them into the depths of the pot with spoons and sometimes stupid fingers.
- Hollowed out eggs are very fragile. Casualties abound.
- Beets do not make that great a dye.
- Turmeric has a very strong scent. Something I never noticed before. I thought it was only used to color food and mustard not to flavor things. It was nice.
I'm off now to stare at my wrecked house and maybe drool a little. Or do laundry.
Comments (5)
I probably missed this somewhere but why did you blow the eggs? Don't you like hard-boiled?
Posted by mss @ Zanthan Gardens | April 13, 2009 8:16 PM
Posted on April 13, 2009 20:16
Your eggs are beautiful and I can sure see the antique-ness you were going for...very cool! I used to dye using onion skins when the kids were young.
Posted by Kathy | April 13, 2009 9:21 PM
Posted on April 13, 2009 21:21
I blew them out because we don't have very many Easter decorations and I thought it would be cool to be able to save the dyed eggs and make them into ornaments for our mantel "tree" thingy.
I don't feel like they are good enough to save for next year. Oh well. But it was fun doing it. I LOVE hardboiled eggs but since Max a) doesn't eat them b) doesn't care to help dye them (too messy) and c) there were no friends of his around to invite for an egg hunt it just seemed like a waste.
Thank you Kathy! I think if you got to see the pinkish ones up close you might think it reminded you of diseased lungs too much.
Posted by angelina | April 14, 2009 9:12 AM
Posted on April 14, 2009 09:12
In order to use these natural dyes, the water must be boiling? Is it possible to just let raw ones soak for an extra long time and then blow out afterward, or must the water be at a boil? Thinking of trying next year - thanks for the inspiration. Might even do all turmeric - so lovely.
Posted by Danielle | April 15, 2009 9:44 AM
Posted on April 15, 2009 09:44
Thanks you guys! The turmeric ones really did turn out nicely I thought.
I am not sure about that. It's worth an experiment though, don't you think? I believe that to extract the color from the natural things like onion skins they do have to be boiled but it would be interesting to see if once the liquid is completely cold again if the color would adhere to eggs left to soak in it.
Posted by Angelina | April 15, 2009 10:40 AM
Posted on April 15, 2009 10:40