I’ve bought plenty of PAAS Easter egg dye kits over the years, and I still associate the smell of vinegar with hard boiled eggs. But have you ventured into the natural world of egg dyeing?
My TikTok feed has been delivering interesting dyeing techniques to my iPhone late at night; I’m too tired to get up and try any of them. So, I decided to track down some that might be fun to try if you want to take your time and fuss a bit.
One resource is thekitchn.com . Most of their dyeing material is readily available except for the dried hibiscus flowers. But if you have ’em, good for you. Let me know how your eggs turn out.
For the rest of us, here’s their recipe for perfectly colored, naturally dyed Easter eggs:
Pick one of the below and simmer with 2 cups water (covered) for 15 to 30 minutes.
- 2 cups shredded beets = reddish pink on white eggs, maroon on brown eggs
- 2 cups red onion skins = reddish orange on white eggs or red on brown eggs
- 2 cups yellow onion skins = orange on white eggs, rusty red on brown eggs
- 1/4 cup ground turmeric = yellow eggs
- 2 cups chopped purple cabbage & 1/4 cup ground turmeric (two separate soaks) = green eggs
- 2 cups chopped purple cabbage = blue on white eggs, green on brown eggs
- 2 cups blueberries = blue eggs
- 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers = lavender or indigo eggs
Another source, Itsy Bitsy Foodies, recommends letting the cooked eggs soak overnight in their natural dye bath. Vinegar (PAAS knew it) in the boiling water makes the colors bolder and brighter. Don’t, however, add vinegar to the onion skins. When the dyed eggs are dry, rub vegetable oil on the shells to make the colors pop and shine.
