Irrespective of how a lot you get pleasure from dyeing Easter eggs, you might be considering twice earlier than you head to the dairy aisle for just a few additional cartons this spring. The worth of contemporary eggs has greater than doubled since final 12 months, which implies you probably wish to make each effort to keep away from meals waste (deviled eggs for everybody, or you may simply dye them uncooked like I do).
Why we love ceramic eggs
Earlier than you shell out for contemporary eggs within the identify of custom, know this: There’s one other technique to dye eggs to your Easter desk and baskets that’s simply as a lot enjoyable and much more particular. Throughout my decade-long profession as a way of life journal editor, I created a whole lot of Easter eggs for photograph and video shoots, and never a 12 months glided by that I didn’t use ceramic eggs. In contrast to picket craft eggs, ceramic eggs look similar to contemporary ones on digicam and in individual, besides you don’t have to fret about them breaking or spoiling, which makes them simpler to embellish, show, and preserve. That’s an enormous plus for teenagers who would quite showcase their egg-cellent work than (gulp) eat it or preserve it within the fridge. (Keep in mind, hard-boiled eggs can solely be left on the desk for two hours, or lower than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90 °F.)
Although ceramic eggs are a strong selection for practically any hand-decorating method (suppose painted, decoupaged, embellished, and extra), they’re additionally nice for traditional egg dyeing. If a ceramic egg rolls off the countertop, drops too quick into the dye bathtub, or clashes with a steel spoon, it’s unlikely to crack or break. Plus, the ceramic end absorbs dye shortly and doesn’t bubble or scratch like contemporary egg shells can.
Eggcetera Ceramic Nest Eggs
These brilliant white eggs take dye effectively and dry shortly. Pastel variations can be found if you happen to don’t wish to get artful.
I first bought white ceramic hen eggs from CeramicEggs.com a few decade in the past as a result of they had been one of many few firms that offered on-line, however I continued to make use of them for years as a result of the eggs had been prime quality and so was the customer support. Now bigger retailers like Amazon and Oriental Buying and selling carry ceramic eggs too, which may prevent money and time on transport.
I just lately examined Eggcetera Ceramic Nest Eggs and located them to be simply as dependable and sturdy because the others I’ve used prior to now. And whereas comparable in worth, they’re offered in additional dimension choices, which I take into account a plus. (Each CeramicEggs.com and Eggcetera provide pastel eggs if you wish to skip dyeing all collectively.)
Enjoyable World Dunk And Shade
This equipment’s easy-to-dissolve tablets create a dye bathtub that offers eggs a wealthy, saturated shade, and the broad oval cups make the entire course of easy.
The right way to dye white ceramic eggs
- Begin with brilliant white ceramic eggs. We like Eggcetera Ceramic Nest Eggs. Wash them completely with dish cleaning soap and water to take away any mud, which prevents the dye from greatest adhering to the floor.
- Put together your dye baths. You need to use an egg-dyeing equipment (Wirecutter’s decide is Enjoyable World’s Dunk And Shade), which produce mild pastel shades on ceramic eggs. Leaving ceramic eggs in a dye bathtub longer doesn’t essentially obtain bolder colours as a result of they’re not as porous as contemporary eggs. So if you need bolder shade, use our go-to meals coloring method with a heavy dose of meals dye. To test your shade, attempt dipping the nook of a paper towel into the dye bathtub; add extra dye as wanted.
- Take away and let dry. This is similar step you’d take with contemporary eggs—bear in mind to put on gloves to keep away from staining your palms. We like to position dyed eggs on cooling racks over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and provides them an occasional roll so that they dry with fewer drips. As soon as they’re dry, they’re able to show.
- Defend your ceramic eggs within the off season. Retailer them in an decoration storage field or place the eggs again within the cartons they got here in, then stack them inside a bin or field. Ceramic eggs don’t sometimes want padding, but when they’ve been embellished otherwise you’re apprehensive about scratches and nicks in storage, wrap every in a half a sheet of tissue paper for safekeeping.
Show them for years to return
Since they don’t expire, ceramic eggs could be dyed and displayed on the first signal of spring, including shade to your Easter baskets and bowls for the size of the season. Then on Easter, they’re safer to make use of in egg hunts in contrast with dyed, hard-boiled eggs, which could be contaminated by micro organism when left on the bottom or unclean surfaces.
Ceramic eggs also can turn into a household souvenir. I really like displaying our favourite ceramic eggs from through the years as a result of we get to look again at what we made collectively, and people recollections are a method higher deal with than something the Easter Bunny may ever carry us.
This text was edited by Catherine Kast and Annemarie Conte.
