Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional culture - What fruit was used to dye cloth in ancient times?

What fruit was used to dye cloth in ancient times?

The fruit used to dye cloth in ancient times was green persimmon.

The origin of dyed green persimmon cloth;

In ancient times, people found that green persimmons had the potential to dye cloth. In autumn, the fruit of green persimmon gradually matures, showing a thick green color. This color is not only natural, but also very durable, so the ancients often used it to dye cloth.

According to historical records, the cloth dyed by the ancients with green persimmons is very bright in color and not easy to fade. This dye is not only easy to obtain, but also low in cost, making green persimmon one of the most popular dyes at that time.

In ancient Europe, people also liked to dye cloth with green persimmons. They boil the green persimmon fruit with its stems and leaves, then filter out the pulp and seeds, and the remaining liquid is dye. This dye can dye emerald green cloth, which is very suitable for making clothes and household items.

In modern society, although there are more kinds of dyes to choose from, green persimmons are still widely used. Especially in some special occasions, dyeing cloth with green persimmons is still very popular.

Specific steps of dyeing cloth with green persimmon

1, drying: dry the cleaned green persimmon for a period of time to produce a layer of frost on its surface. This process is called "first frost" to increase the content of tannic acid in green persimmon.

2. Cut persimmon: cut the dried green persimmon into small pieces to better release tannic acid.

3. Squeeze persimmon sauce: squeeze the cut green persimmon blocks into persimmon sauce, which can be squeezed by juicer or hand.

4. Preparation of dye solution: mix the squeezed persimmon paste with appropriate amount of water to form persimmon dye solution.

5. Boiling: Boil the dye solution to fully release tannic acid.

6. Soak the cloth: soak the cloth to be dyed in the boiled persimmon dye solution to ensure that the cloth is fully soaked.

7. Air drying: Take out the soaked cloth and air dry naturally.

8. Fixing: In order to enhance the durability of color, you can fix the color on the dyed fabric, usually using some fixing agents.

Introduction of green persimmon

The definition of green persimmon:

Green persimmon refers to the immature state of persimmon, and its surface is usually turquoise or yellowish. Persimmon is a common fruit, which is orange-red when ripe. Persimmons may taste astringent before they are fully ripe, because immature persimmons contain more tannic acid.

Use of green persimmon:

Green persimmon is usually used in some food processing or traditional cloth dyeing process. In the process of dyeing cloth, tannic acid in green persimmon can be used as a natural dye to give cloth a special yellow or brown color. In some places, people will also make green persimmon sauce for seasoning or as traditional medicinal food.