How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally
by Alice Currah on Apr 3, 2014
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With our small dining room table covered in newspaper, my sisters and I used to dye Easter eggs every year using one of two methods. Our most common way was to use drops of food coloring mixed with water and vinegar. This way was good for bright and vibrant colors sunshine yellow or tropical ocean blue. Some years we found a second method when we convinced our mom to buy an official egg coloring kit complete with candy-looking tablets that would dissolve in water. This method wasn't anything special except I loved the twisted wire tool that was included in the kit to help lower and raise the eggs out of its color bath. As you know, to a six-year-old, using a regular old spoon wasn't as cool. Fast forward a few decades. My method for dyeing eggs has gone from commercial to natural using vegetables, fruits, spices, and other foods. The color difference between dyeing eggs naturally versus the commercial dyes is noticeable.
The different subdued hues of the naturally colored eggs have a beautiful look to them that cannot be replicated by the store-bought options. Foods such as raspberries, red cabbage, spinach, turmeric, beets, tea, onion skins, red onion skins, and coffee are just some of the many foods you can use to dye eggs. However, unlike the commercial kits, it takes a lot more time for the color to adhere to eggs. Give yourself at least an hour; in some cases, they may require a color bath overnight. I invite you to watch the video above to see how we dyed our eggs naturally. Hopefully, you'll be inspired to step away from the kits and go natural this Easter.