~~~~Everything Easter~~~

Natural Egg Dying

In many cultures and traditions, an egg is a symbol of rebirth and renewal. To celebrate the coming of spring, or to honor religious holidays, many people dye and decorate eggs. Unfortunately, the chemicals used in commercial egg dyeing kits aren't exactly natural. But with a little creativity, you can make your own egg dyes right on your stovetop.

The process is simple. Find plant or vegetable matter that bleeds a strong color when cooked in water. Simmer the vegetable matter for 20-30 minutes, then strain out the solids, reserving the liquid, and cool. Pour the dye liquid into ceramic or glass containers, and then add hard-boiled eggs to soak.

Here are some ideas for plant materials that cook up strong colors:

Pink: Grated beets, Cranberries or Juice, Raspberries, Red Grape Juice, or Juice from Pickled Beets
Orange: Chili powder, Yellow Onion Skins, Cooked Carrots, or Paprika
Purple or lavendar: Purple grape juice, Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice
Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice, or Red Zinger Tea
Blue Violet: Violet Blossoms, Small Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled),Hibiscus Tea, Red Wine
Yellow: Turmeric powder, Orange or Lemon Peels, Carrot Tops, Celery Seed, Ground Cumin, Chamomile Tea, or Green Tea
Greenish yellow: Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled)
Blue: Grated red cabbage, or Canned Blueberries
Purple Grape Juice
Brown: Strong black tea, Dill Seeds, Strong Coffee, Instant Coffee, orBlack Walnut Shells
Green: Spinach Leaves (boiled), or Liquid Chlorophyll
Red: Lots of Red Onions Skins, Canned Cherries with Juice, Pomegranate Juice, or Raspberries

Foot notes:
The longer you leave the eggs in the dye, the stronger the color you will get. If you want a strong color but intend on eating the eggs, let them soak overnight in the fridge