Egg Dying With PAAS

Easter is a big deal around here! We are Greek Orthodox and Easter is our biggest holiday, rich in traditions. If you have any Greek friends, then you may already know about some Greek Easter traditions, such as the lamb on the spit and the bright red Easter eggs. It’s so important that our Easter eggs are red, because they symbolize the blood of Christ. I may not be too religious, but the traditions are so important to me because it’s who I am. Sure, my mom let us dye pastel eggs, but a batch of eggs were always reserved that were going to only be red. The only problem – we never had red eggs – they were always bright pink or orange. My grandmother’s Easter eggs were always the envy of the family – how did she get such red eggs?

The year before I got married, I was asked by my mother in law-to be to handle the eggs, and her only request was that they were all red. Oh geez, how was I going to pull this one off? I had to channel my grandma who had passed away the year before that and thought to myself, What Would Yiayia Do? Then it dawned on me: this woman never measure a thing! So, as I was pouring the red powder over the eggs, I dropped half a bottle of Heinz White Vinegar into the pot as well. The recipe only called for 1/2 a cup, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. A few minutes later I impatiently pulled out the first egg – It was red! The whole batch was bright red!!

I used this method of putting about twice as much vinegar as recommended by egg-dye instructions, and each time I have had great success with vibrant colored eggs. I would never say to go against a manufacturer’s recommended directions for use, but in my own experience I can tell you that a good amount of Heinz White Vinegar has helped achieve great egg-dying results.

Although our tradition is to dye our Easter eggs red, we love the pastel colors and will always make just a few red eggs and many pastel colored eggs. Since the amount of children in my family has grown, egg dying has turned out to be a huge event for the kids. My sister in law and I gather a few boxes of various PAAS egg dying kits – which are usually half price by the time Greek Easter comes along. We have tried other brand of dyes, but haven’t been happy with the results, so we’ve become quite loyal to the brand. The kids have a playdate, dye eggs, make a huge mess, and then make their own Easter baskets.

No matter what type of Easter traditions you hold, be sure to pick up PAAS egg dying kits and Heinz White Vinegar. PAAS offers many varieties of egg dying kits that give you vibrant colors and fun designs! You can check out PAAS to see all the egg dying kits they carry, as well as reading some egg decorating tips. Did you know that you can make hard-boiled eggs in the oven?!? This is one tip I will be trying out real soon! Also, check out PAAS on Facebook for some money saving coupons!

Heinz Vinegar and PAAS have partnered to bring you the Easter Egg Decorator iPad® app (for those who don’t have an iPad, the app can also be accessed online via desktop or laptop computer).  Now through March 31, when you decorate and share a virtual Easter egg with family and friends using the free app, Heinz and PAAS will donate $1, up to $25,000, to Make-A-Wish®.