Growing up, my mom always prepared our Easter egg dyes using food coloring. But you can also show your children how to make beautiful colors using non-toxic fresh ingredients such as beets, red cabbage, spinach, coffee, and turmeric. The pigments found in food is a simple, eco-friendly way to get just the right natural tint to your holiday eggs. Get creative and experiment!
Ingredients
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- Dye items (see chart below. Each dye item varies, so you’ll want to test them and add more to your liking)
- 4-6 raw white eggs
Directions
- First, wash eggs to remove any coating.
- In a metal pot, bring water, dye material and vinegar to a boil.
- Add eggs and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cook for about 15 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit another 15 minutes or more, until desired color. (The longer you leave the eggs in the dye, the deeper the color)
- Remove eggs, rinse and let dry.
Color | Item to Dye with |
Blue | Red Cabbage Leaves, Blueberries |
Red | Red Onion Skins, Pomegranate Juice |
Pink | Beets, Beet Juice |
Purple | Grape Juice, Hibiscus Tea |
Orange | Paprika, Carrots, Yellow Onion Skins |
Yellow | Ground Turmeric, Cumin, Orange or Lemon Peels |
Green | Spinach Leaves |
Reddish Brown | Chili Powder |
Brown | Black Walnut Shells, Black Tea, Ground Coffee |