How to Make All Natural Egg Dye
Learn How to Make All Natural Egg Dye from common kitchen ingredients!
Ingredients
- Chopped beets or simply substitute jarred pickled beet liquid for a vibrant jeweled toned magenta.
- Yellow onion skins - natural yellow/gold to orange depending on how long the soak
- Red onion skins - lavender to red depending on how long the soak
- Turmeric root or substitute powdered turmeric if fresh turmeric root is unavailable for bright yellow
- Red cabbage - light violet to blue
- Blueberry juice from either fresh or frozen blueberries or bottled juice- dark blue
- Hibiscus flowers or a hibiscus blend tea - pink eggs
- Hard boiled eggs - either peeled or unpeeled
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients by chopping.
- Place each in a separate saucepan, working in batches if necessary, and cover with a few inches of water.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer. Most ingredients will need to simmer for at least 30 minutes to reach a dark shade. Check shade by dripping dye onto a white dish or paper towel. The dye is ready when the test color is a few shades darker than the shade you want for your eggs.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Strain using a fine mesh strainer to remove solids.
- Add a splash of vinegar, about a tablespoon per cup of liquid, to help the color take more quickly and vibrantly.
- If using to color eggs submerge hard boiled eggs, either peeled or unpeeled, in dye and allow to sit until desired shade is achieved. For darker, brighter color let soak longer. Unpeeled eggs may even benefit from an overnight soak in the refrigerator to allow the all natural food dye to penetrate the egg shell.
- Remove eggs with tongs and pat dry.
- Shine eggshells with a little vegetable oil if desired.