Eggs of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera ...

Hello Herb Lovers,

By now you’ll all know that I was raised in Germany.  As such I grew up with some very old traditions, one of which was painting Easter eggs.  Sure, these days you get commercial colouring kits with which you can create some amazing works of art.  Or you can get stickers if you are not feeling all that creative.  But in the old days eggs were dyed with herbs and other natural materials.

I have found a lovely article in a Rabbit Hill Gardens Herb Farm newsletter teaching how to dye eggs the old fashioned way – including colour charts, recipes and  technique.  Who knew that red cabbage makes a robin egg blue dye?

“Naturally-dyed eggs have a lovely matte finish reminiscent of old milk paint, but eggs can also be oiled to a satin shiny finish. After eggs have dried, rub them with an edible vegetable oil such as canola oil or olive oil using a paper towel. Wipe with a dry paper towel and buff lightly. “

I’ll try and have a go at these ideas this Easter and I’ll post some pics. Feel free to do the same, I’ll happily feature your efforts.

Stay herbal

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