The Hottest Easter Egg Shades and Styles With Food Color

SPARKS, Md., March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This season's Easter eggs are getting a makeover with a wide variety of must-have spring colors and designs. McCormick is offering new color palettes and dyeing techniques, including a painting method that achieves a watercolor effect. These Easter eggs will look too good to hide in baskets – so put them front-and-center in your seasonal décor.

"With our new colors and design tips, it's easy to make fashionable Easter eggs. Plus, it's fun to experiment with different color combinations you can't get from a kit – like our take on Radiant Orchid, the Pantone^® color of the year," said Mary Beth Harrington of the McCormick Kitchens.

To create vibrant dyes inspired by must-have spring colors, mix food color with ½ of cup of hot water and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Submerge eggs for at least five minutes:

• Radiant Orchid – 7 drops blue, 3 drops neon purple
• Hemlock – 3 drops blue, 12 drops green, 6 drops yellow
• Cayenne – 14 drops red, 1 drop blue, 1 drop yellow
• Dazzling Blue – 20 drops neon blue, 1 drop neon purple
• Violet Tulip – 2 drops red, 20 drops blue
• Freesia – 1 drop red, 45 drops yellow (25 drops = 1/4 teaspoon)
• Celosia Orange – 2 drops red, 17 drops yellow
• Placid Blue – 4 drops blue

"Get the kids involved – and avoid messy hands – by covering the table in plastic and using a whisk instead of a spoon to dip your eggs into the dye," added Harrington.

Dazzling Egg Dyeing Tips
Match your eggs to the color palette of your décor and even arrange them in a vase or a bowl for an eye-catching centerpiece.  

• Paint: To create mini works of art, mix food color and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar in a small container. Paint hard-cooked eggs with a small paintbrush or cotton swab to create a watercolor effect. To achieve the same effect with must-have spring colors, check out the To-Dye-For Eggs color guide at http://www.mccormick.com/food-coloring-and-extracts/easter.
• Stripes: Before dyeing, place rubber bands on the eggs to create a design. Once dry, remove the rubber bands to reveal the pattern.
• Marbled: Mix 1/4 cup of boiling water, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, 1/8 teaspoon of oil and 4 to 8 drops of food color in a shallow bowl. Gently roll each egg in the mixture for about 30 seconds, or until it is the desired shade. Transfer the egg to a second color mixture and repeat the process. Allow the egg to dry then wipe away excess oil with a paper towel.
• Two-Tone or Three-Color Eggs: Dip top half of a hard-cooked egg in one color and the bottom half in another. Or, dip each half of the egg in the color for different lengths of time, creating different shades of the same color for an ombre effect.
• Personalized Designs: Customize your eggs before dyeing with these fun ideas:
  • Place stickers – such as dots, chicks or other springtime favorites – on the eggs to create a design. Once dry, remove stickers to see your masterpiece.
  • Draw zig zags, swirls or pictures on eggs with a light-colored crayon before dyeing. Or write your guests' initials on the eggs for Easter brunch place cards.

For more egg dyeing tips and Easter recipes, visit www.McCormick.com, www.Facebook.com/McCormickSpice and www.Pinterest.com/mccormickspices.

To download food photography, visit the digital press room at www.mccormick.com/FoodMedia.

About McCormick
McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor with more than $4 billion in annual sales. McCormick manufactures, markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry – retail outlets, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses – in more than 125 countries and territories. Since Willoughby M. McCormick founded the company selling root beer extract in 1889, McCormick has demonstrated a strong commitment to the communities in which it operates and the planet as a whole. Innovation in flavor and a clear focus on employee engagement and product quality has allowed McCormick to grow its business globally and become the flavor leader it is today. Visit mccormick.com, mccormickcorporation.com and Facebook.com/McCormickSpice for more information.

SOURCE McCormick & Co., Inc.