Natural Easter Egg Dye
April 07, 2012
Posted By: Shaunescy
This picture was submitted to us from Krista Sampson. She died farm eggs using Caleigh Searle's Natural Easter Egg Dye instructions, found on page 41 of the current issue. Gorgeous!
Here are the instructions:
Easter is once again upon us and while my family does not celebrate the religious aspects of Easter, we always have a blast dying eggs (and sometimes the dog as well). One year we decided to forgo the store bought, artificial Easter egg dye and try a more natural approach. While not as brilliant in color as the food coloring, natural dyes were fun to work with and the results were subtler, yet just as pretty. The best part is no vinegar smell! Careful, these will stain clothes just like other dyes.
RED OR PINK COLOR:
Start with white eggs and a small pan of cold water. Dice a beet (the best, brilliant pink color), a handful of cranberries, cranberry juice powder, red onionskin or a few bags of “red zinger tea”. Hibiscus flowers give the “zinger” teas their pretty pink color; you can use a handful of those too. Add colorant of your choice to the cold water and eggs, bring to a boil, cover, turn off the heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Remove eggs and let dry.
YEllOW COLOR:
Using the same cold-water method, add one or two heaping Tbs. of ground turmeric powder to the egg bath. Yellow onion skins can be used for a nice yellow color as well.
PURPLE COLOR:
Use a can of frozen purple grape juice concentrate to the cold water/egg bath.
GREEN COLOR:
Spirulina is an edible algae that can be used to color the eggs a brilliant green color. Use one-to-two Tbs. of spirulina powder in the egg/water bath.
ORANGE COLOR:
Annatto powder is a plant-derived colorant that is used in the natural food and cosmetic industry. For very vivid orange color, use one to two tsps. for the egg bath.
BLUE COLOR:
Add a can of blueberries with all the syrup and juices, to the egg bath. You can use instant coffee, black tea and walnut shells to dye eggs brown, but with all the lovely speckled farm eggs out there, why bother? Feel free to experiment, mix colors and think of anything you use in the kitchen that stains!
*Hibiscus flowers, ground turmeric and spirulina can be found at Hill Botanical
(www.hillbotanical.com)
**The annatto powder can be found at your local health food store.
Happy Easter! mp
