{"id":508,"date":"2020-04-24T19:08:55","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T23:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.nepenthe-farm.com\/blog\/?p=508"},"modified":"2020-06-29T16:49:47","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T20:49:47","slug":"blue-purple-silver-natural-dyes-for-eggs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.nepenthe-farm.com\/blog\/?p=508","title":{"rendered":"Blue, Purple & Silver Natural Dyes for Eggs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Blue and purple dyes can add \u201czing\u201d to a color scheme, something entirely different from the many \u201cwarm\u201d reds<\/a>, yellows, oranges, and browns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Less-strong dyes can give a grey or \u201csilver\u201d color, which can\nadd subtle elements in the right color schemes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the materials that give blue and purple dyes are red in their natural state. This class of dyes are, however, sensitive to acidity or alkalinity\u2013 red in acidic conditions and blue in alkaline conditions. Eggshells, which contain large amounts of calcium, are alkaline. Sometimes you can watch as an egg dyes red at first, and then gradually, perhaps over several hours, turns blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bright Blue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\nThe\nbest bright blues, so far, come from red cabbage under acidic\nconditions. That can be either red cabbage soaked in warm water with\nvinegar, or from sauerkraut made from red cabbage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cabbage blue is one of the few dyes that is not much affected by iron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An egg with cochineal dye. Part of it was treated with iron after dyeing, but my notes are confused about the details.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bright Purple<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cochineal \u2013 sold as a natural dye for fibers \u2013 gives a bright pink<\/a> when used alone. An iron after-treatment gives purple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSoft\u201d Blues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dyes that give \u201csoft\u201d blues, \u201clavender\u201d, or silver grey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n