The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town

By: Amberly Asay

Easter is approaching, and it is time to get out our eggs and dye them!  Do you remember when you were little and used those pastel colored dyes?  This year, dye your eggs with some natural rich colors.

Step inside your pantry, open your refrigerator, survey your garden, or go to the store to pick up dye bath materials.  Fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, partnered up with a bit of vinegar, provide all of your raw materials. The dye bath agents you select will be based on both what color you’d like to achieve, and how deeply you want the color to appear. The rule of thumb is to use more dye bath material and infuse longer to achieve the deepest colors.

Here are some good foods to use:

Spinach=Pale Green 

Orange marigold leaves=Pale Yellow

Cranberries=Pale Purple

Blueberries=Blue-Purple

Raspberries=Lavender

Pomegranates=Light Red (juice or seeds)

Beets=Pale Pink

Red Cabbage=Dark Pink/Dark Blue (a longer infusing time will create a deeper colored egg)

Coffee Grounds=Dark Brown

Onion Skins=Copper

1) After you’ve selected your ingredients, place it in a large pot. Add a quart of cold water and 2 tablespoons white vinegar; bring to a boil (you’ll need separate pots for each color, so you might have to do your dyeing in shifts if you want more than four colors).  Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes

2) Add however many raw eggs you’d like to dye to each dye bath. Boil for 30 minutes.

3) During this time, use a wooden spoon or spatula to periodically turn the eggs over so as to help the dye adhere to all sides of the egg.

4) Using a slotted spoon, carefully move the eggs to glass jars, using one jar for each color. Strain off the dye bath solids and pour the infused liquid into each jar. Cover with lids and allow to infuse at room temperature overnight.

5) Remove the eggs from the dye bath. Blot gently with a paper towel or cloth. If you’d like them shiny, buff them up with a little bit of olive or vegetable oil.