Cracking the secrets of colouring Easter eggs.

Byline: Marianna Pissa

CONSUMERS looking for additive-free dyes for Easter eggs don't need to shell out for special eco-friendly colours when a trip to the municipal market is all they need to discover the time-honoured methods used in Cyprus in the old days.

Calling himself simply 'Stavros', the 70-year-old pensioner from the village of Platanistassa spent yesterday in a quiet corner of the Ochi market showing people how he colours Easter eggs in the most natural way possible.

He said the most common natural dye used for dying eggs in Cyprus is the 'rizari', otherwise known as 'madder root', or more officially 'Rubia tinctorum' which gives different shades of the colour red.

"I have my pot here and my small butane gas stove. I am showing people how the rizari natural dye works on the eggs. For one euro, you can buy a big plastic bag of "rizari" from me and you can dye dozens of your eggs," said Stavros.

He said the rizari roots can be over a metre long and give eggs a burgundy red colour. They must be ground before use.

"You throw them in a pot and bring it to the boil steep the roots add the eggs and simmer at low temperatures to develop a dark red," said Stavros.

He said rizari was primarily used in the old days when eggs where dyed only red on 'Kokkini Pempti' [Red or Holy Thursday] to symbolise the blood of Christ.

Dyes without chemicals and artificial colours may take longer than the commercial egg dye kits you buy at the shops.

Nowadays dyes come in all colours and can be picked up from any shop around Easter time.

However many food colourings in egg dyes contain additives such as Red No. 3 and Yellow No. 5, which, according to studies are harmful.

Currently, only Yellow No. 5 [the second most popular artificial coloring after Red No. 40] must be listed on ingredient labels to warn people who are sensitive to it because it can cause hives, or a runny or stuffy nose, and, occasionally, even severe breathing difficulties.

But using Stavros' method is all good.

"All you need is a pot, lots of eggs of course, and a wooden spoon," he said.

"You don't have to use vinegar with rizari but if you do, don't use malt vinegar as it will add a brown tinge to your eggs," Stavros said.

"While vinegar may affect the PH of the dye solution and change the colour, it primarily makes the eggshells more porous so they will accept the dye better. Dyeing eggs with natural dyes give eggs a much more subtle colouring."

The most common natural materials that produce colour for dyeing are madder roots for red,

onion skins for yellow, carrots and peel for yellow-orange, beets for bright red, nettles for light green, grape juice for purple, cinnamon for light brown, spinach leaves for dark green and

turmeric, which produces saffron yellow.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2009

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