Color Easter Eggs Naturally With Dyes From Your Kitchen
by Debra Lynn Dadd
The most beautiful dyes for Easter eggs come from foodstuff you
probably already have in your kitchen.
I have been delighted with the results of the colors I have
tried and my friends have been thrilled to receive them as
springtime gifts. The colors are very unusual -- gentle, earthy,
soft, and very vibrant, without being harsh like the artificial
dyes -- and when I tell people the colors come from plant dyes,
they always want to know the origin of each color.
To color these eggs, you boil the eggs with the dyestuff, rather
than boiling the eggs separately and they dying them.
Here are the general directions:
1. Put raw, white-shelled, organically-raised eggs in a single
layer in a pan. Cover with cold water. 2. Add a little more than
a teaspoon of white vinegar. 3. Add the natural dyestuff for the
color you want your eggs to be. (The more eggs you are dying at
a time, the more dye you will need to use, and the more dye you
use, the darker the color will be.) 4. Bring water to a boil,
then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 5. Quickly check the
eggs for color by removing them from the dye liquid with a
slotted spoon.
If the color is as desired, pour off the hot dye liquid and
rinse the eggs immediately in cold water to stop the eggs from
cooking. Continue to change the water until it stays cool in the
pot because the eggs are no longer releasing heat. Drain and
allow eggs to cool in the refrigerator.
If you wish a deeper color, strain the hot dye liquid into a
container, then rinse the eggs immediately in cold water to stop
them from cooking. Continue to change the water until it stays
cool in the pot because the eggs are no longer releasing heat.
Drain the last of the cold water, then cover the eggs with the
strained dye liquid. Add more water if necessary so that the
eggs are completely covered. Put into the refrigerator
immediately and keep eggs in the refrigerator until the desired
shade is achieved. Overnight is good. Longer than about twelve
hours some of the colors just get muddier instead of deeper, and
the lighter shades are more vibrant.
Try these foods to dye your eggs:
Red - Pink -- lots of red onion skins, cranberry juice, or
frozen raspberries.
Orange -- Yellow onion skins
Brown -- Red beet skins or grape juice (produces a beautiful
sparkling tan), coffee.
Yellow -- Saffron, tumeric or cumin, orange or lemon peels, or
celery seed.
Green -- spinach, or carrot tops and peels from Yellow Delicious
apples for a yellow-green.
Blue -- Red cabbage leaves make the most incredible robin's-egg
blue.
Deep Purple -- Red wine makes a beautiful burgundy color
Tips for successful results:
* Use filtered or distilled water. Chlorine and other chemicals
will work against the dye, making it less intense. Buy distilled
water or use your own filtered water. * For deeper colors, use
more dyestuff or let the eggs soak longer. * For even coverage,
cook eggs in a pot large enough to hold enough water and
dyestuff to completely cover the eggs, even after some of the
liquid has evaporated during the 15 minute of boiling. * Again,
for even coverage, if you continue to soak the eggs in the
refrigerator after cooking, make sure the eggs are completely
covered with the dye liquid. * Blot the eggs dry or allow them
to air dry, as for some colors the dye will rub off while still
wet. On the other hand, if you wish to make a white pattern on
the egg, you can rub off some of the dye for some colors
immediately after cooking. * Make sure eggs of different colors
are completely dry before piling them up in a bowl together, as
wet dye from one egg can transfer to another.
Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn
Dadd has been a consumer advocate for products and lifestyle
choices that are better for health and the environment since
1982. Visit her website for 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic,
natural and earthwise products, and to sign up for her free
email newsletters. http://www.dld123.com
Color Easter Eggs Naturally With Dyes From Your Kitchen
