Did you know that you can create vibrant, eye-catching dyed Easter eggs without the artificial colors? It’s possible with the natural pigments in foods that you may already have in your kitchen. Ingredients like beets and turmeric are already known for their deep color, which can be harnessed with just a little vinegar and a some time simmering and soaking.
So for Easter, instead of buying dyes that you probably won’t use again until the same holiday next year, give this DIY method a try. It’s not only a great way to use up food scraps, but also it comes with the bragging rights to say that you created these beauties from scratch.
A note: We’ve given guidelines for making the colors listed below, but the possibilities don’t stop there. You can take most any highly-colored food and turn it into a dye. Coffee, tea, carrots, green vegetables, berries, and juice are all possibilities. Dyes can be mixed, too, to fill in the rainbow some more.
Learn how to make naturally-dyed Easter eggs below and get everything you need on FreshDirect.
Naturally-Dyed Easter Eggs
What you’ll need:
Eggs
Any or all of the following:
Red cabbage
Turmeric
Red beets
Red onion skins
What to do:
Begin by hard-boiling the eggs. Submerge eggs in rapidly boiling water, then remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 12 minutes. Cool completely in an ice bath. Meanwhile, make your dye using the recipes below. Be sure dye is cooled completely before using.
Baby blue
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup chopped red cabbage per 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, and cool completely. For every 1 cup of dye, stir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar.
Yellow
In a saucepan, combine 1 tablespoon turmeric per 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, and cool completely. For every 1 cup of dye, stir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar.
Pink
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup chopped, peeled red beets per 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, and cool completely. For every 1 cup of dye, stir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar.
Maroon
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup red onion skins per 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, and cool completely. For every 1 cup of dye, stir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar.
When it’s time to dye the eggs:
Transfer cooled dye to a sealable container and completely submerge the hardboiled eggs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. For the most vibrant color, soak eggs in dye overnight.
To create a fun, striped pattern:
Gently wrap narrow rubber bands or tape around eggs before soaking in dye. Dry dyed eggs on a wire rack, and then peel off tape or cut rubber bands with kitchen shears.
Tip: To ensure eggs are edible, don’t allow them to sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
The colors will change or fade over time. To make them picture-perfect for Easter, we recommend dyeing your eggs the day before.
Happy coloring!