Eggsperiments day 3 – how to make Green Eggs and Ham

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Green eggs made using red cabbage water

This is great fun, and uses completely natural colourings, no additives in sight.  First you need to get an adult to cut a red cabbage in half and slice it into chunks, cover it in water and bring it to the boil, simmer it for 30 minutes, remove the cabbage and throw it away and keep the liquid.  Your kitchen will smell of cabbage but you’ll have a deep purple liquid to play with.  BE CAREFUL not to get the cabbage water near clothes and furnishings as it will stain and ALWAYS ask an adult to any heat or sharps work.

Separate the egg yolk and white, add 1 teaspoon of red cabbage water to the egg white and stir to combine, the egg white will turn a lovely deep green colour.  Once it’s all mixed together, place the yolk back with the white and either ask an adult to fry it or poach it.  The white will remain green and the yolk will remain yellow.  It will taste just like a fried or poached egg and you won’t taste the cabbage, promise.

It looks really cool, serve with ham for Green Eggs and Ham.

Here’s the video

How does it work?

Red cabbage water is an indicator, this means that it changes colour when added to different substances and can determine whether those substances are acid or alkaline (a base).  If you add vinegar to red cabbage water the water will turn red as vinegar is an acid, if you add egg white which is alkaline it turns green. Red cabbage contains a water soluble pigment called anthocyanin which is the ingredient that reacts to the acid or alkaline.  You could try adding red cabbage water to different household liquids to see what colour they turn, try lemonade, vinegar, washing powder, lemon juice or an antacid tablet (with an adult’s permission).