Blue Eggs (and ham)

My friend Kath Lambert introduced me to the brown patterned eggs many years ago.
So this is in her memory.

Brown patterned eggs
½ a supermarket bag of loosely packed brown onion skins
cheap white vinegar
Old tights or pop-sox, cut into 25cm lengths
soft leaves
few drops olive oil
white eggs – I used Duck eggs

The dye:
Boil the onion skins in about 5 cups of water for 15 minutes.
Add 3 Tbs vinegar.
Let it cool completely.
(I left mine overnight but that was how it worked out)
Decant into a small saucepan.
Prepare the eggs:
Tie the tights into a self knot at one end.
Pop the egg in.
Put some leaves flush against the egg.
I think soft ones are the best as they adhere well.
I used coriander, thyme and parsley.
Ensure that the tights are really taut around the egg and tie with strong thread at the other end.
(you can see the pattern the tights made)
Bring the onion liquid to a low simmer and add the eggs gently.
Continue to simmer gently and cook for 10 – 15 minutes depending on how dark you would like the egg.
I like the shades to vary.
Rub a little olive oil on the egg to make it glow.

Pale Blue Eggs
1 small red cabbage
white eggs – I used Duck eggs
few drops olive oil

The dye:
Slice the cabbage and boil it in about 6 cups of water.
Boil it till there is an unacceptable level of brassica fumes!
This will be for about 30 minutes.
Don't do this when you are expecting visitors.
The cabbage and liquid will be blueish. Leave to cool completely and decant a mugful.
Prepare the eggs:
Place the eggs in cold fresh water and bring them up to a gentle simmer.
Continue to simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes.
Put the egg into the decanted cabbage juice and leave until you get the desired shade of blue.
The depth of blue will depend on how much liquid you used in the making of the dye.
Rub a little olive oil on the egg.

Blue & Green mottled eggs
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cider vinegar
masking tape
Use the pale blue eggs you made earlier.

The dye:
Cook the turmeric in about 1½ cups of water for 10 minutes.
Decant it into a mug.
Prepare the eggs:
Gently press masking tape over almost the whole of the pale blue egg.
It is best to allow it not to stick over the curves so that the dyes can penetrate under the tape to a degree.
Place the egg in the turmeric dye for a minute.
Drain and remove the masking tape.
Rub a little olive oil on the egg.

Notes: The original recipe for blue eggs called for vinegar.
I forgot to add it and they were a nice blue.
But when I added it the mixture turned red-violet and the eggs did not colour!
Also...
I initially did turmeric eggs on plain white duck eggs.
If you like bright yellow eggs its great.

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