Dyeing Easter Eggs Naturally

Wash hard boiled eggs in warm water to remove any oily residue that can affect the color dyeing process and let cool.

There is no exact amount of each of the  ingredients to use.  I usually put a couple of handfuls of each of the bigger items, the spices I just use a few tablespoons. You can let the water boil for awhile and just see how brightly coloured the water is. Put the color stuff you choose in a saucepan and cover with water by about an inch, and add 1/4 cup of distilled vinegar to each batch. FYI, it could end up being about 2 cups or so of each dye item, depending on what you use. You don’t need to use all of each one for the colour, those are just different ingredients that produce the same colour hue.

Bring to a boil the water and the dye product you are going to use, then reduce heat to low and let simmer anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour or longer, until you like the color you see in the water. That’s really all it comes down to, just get the water a color/shade you like and try it out.

Pour liquid through a coffee filter or you can use a mesh strainer, and into a bowl or jar that will be deep enough to put your eggs in. I sometimes use a Mason or Kerr canning type jar.

Don’t forget the vinegar, this is to help the dye absorb into the eggshell and is important.  Some people even add another tablespoon to the ‘dye’ before they put the eggs in.

Use tongs to put the eggs into the hot liquid. The eggs will need to sit for quite a bit of time to get a good colour. You can take them out anytime you like the shade they have reached, I sometimes even wait for the liquid to cool and then move it into the refrigerator overnight to let them soak that way. If you are going to eat them, be SURE to refrigerate them. You will get a lighter color the less time you let it sit, and a darker color for longer.

Credit: Miesje Portia

Image Credit: yellowgirl

Cover Image: James Rowe