Natural Ways To Dye Easter Eggs
I’m not quite sure how this happened but Easter is right around the corner!? Is anyone else still recovering from Christmas?! On the plus side, the temperatures are getting warmer and hopefully the weeks filled with non-stop rain will be replaced with plenty of sunny afternoons.
This year at our house we’re trying to be healthier. That means eating better, moving more (thanks to our new puppy Buddy), and cutting out harmful chemicals from our lives. I know that they are in practically everything around us (hello PAINT store) but there’s nothing wrong with starting small. For example, if decorating eggs is a part of your Easter tradition, below are a few great ways to skip those artificial dyes and still end up with a beautiful (and natural) result.
Let’s start in your fridge and pantry. Most of the dyes are made from ingredients you probably already have around the house. Below are some great tips from Better Homes And Gardens!
For best results, soak these naturally dyed eggs in the refrigerator overnight. The process will take a little longer than with artificial dyes but will be worth it!
Jade Green Peel the skin from 6 red onions and simmer in 2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 3 tsp. white vinegar.
Faint Green-Yellow Peel the skin from 6 yellow apples. Simmer in 1-1/2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Simmer 4 oz. chopped fennel tops in 1-1/2 cups of water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
Orange The longer you soak these onion dyed eggs, the darker the color will be. Take the skin of 6 yellow onions and simmer in 2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 3 tsp. white vinegar.
Faint Red-Orange Stir 2 Tbsp. paprika into 1 cup boiling water; add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
Yellow Rich yellow: Simmer 4 oz. chopped carrot tops in 1-1/2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Mustard-yellow: Stir 2 Tbsp. turmeric into 1 cup boiling water; add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Various shades: Steep 4 bags of chamomile or green tea in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes. Pale yellow: Chop 4 oz. goldenrod and simmer in 2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Faint yellow: Simmer the peels of 6 oranges in 1-1/2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. vinegar.
Brown-Gold Simmer 2 Tbsp. dill seed in 1 cup water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
Brown Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup strong coffee.
Pink FCut 1 medium beet into chunks and add to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 2 Tbsp. vinegar and let cool to room temperature; remove beets.
Lavender Mix 1 cup grape juice and 1 tablespoon vinegar.
You can also follow this guide from Cool Mom Eats.
My personal favourite has got to be blueberry and red cabbage dye. It creates the most beautiful moody shade! For blue/grey mix 1 cup frozen blueberries with 1 cup water, bring to room temperature, and remove blueberries. If you prefer more blue cut 1/4 head of red cabbage into chunks and add to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 2 Tbsp. vinegar. Let cool to room temperature and remove cabbage with a slotted spoon. These tutorials from The Kitchen Mccabe are STUNNING!
You can also create a beautiful speckled pattern by sponging butter (yes butter) on the eggs before you soak them in dye. The dye won’t penetrated through the butter and leave you with a beautiful result like this. Click on the photo below for the super easy tutorial from HomeOhMy.
Remember that as long as you store them in the fridge these eggs are perfectly safe to eat. Unless the shell is cracked they won’t take on the flavour of whatever you used to dye them (I don’t know how I feel about blueberry eggs). Plus, how beautiful will they look on the table?
Have you tried any of these before? Tell us what worked for you by leaving a comment below!
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