Re-posted from my friend Beverly over at Bee Haven Acres
Natural Egg Dyes Recipes
Use hard cooked brown or white eggs. After eggs are cooked, quickly cool the water or rinse in cold water. This helps to prevent greening of the yolk. Natural dyes take longer to color the egg, so plan on extra time, or leave the eggs in the refrigerator overnight.
Recipes make approximately 1 cup dye.
Yellow or deep gold:
1 – 2 tsp. turmeric powder, fill cup with boiling water, stir in 1 tsp. white vinegar (dusty after drying, wipe gently with dry cloth & be very careful for stains) Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed, & ground cumin can be added for variation.
Peach to orange:
1 large handful yellow onion skins simmered 20 minutes. Now add 1 tsp. white vinegar.
Rust:
1 large handful of a mix of yellow & red onion skins, prepared as above.
Red:
2 – 4 tbsp. freshly grated beets, fill cup with boiling water, stir in 1 tsp. white vinegar Allow to sit overnight. Cranberries or frozen raspberries can also be used.
Purple:
2 tbsp. grated beets, 2 tbsp. red cabbage, fill cup with boiling water, stir in 1 tsp. vinegar A bluer shade of purple can be made using grape juice concentrate and 1 tsp. white vinegar
Blue:
Bright 2 – 3 tbsp. chopped red cabbage, fill cup with boiling water, stir in 1 tsp. white vinegar Allow to set overnight. Blueberries may also be used.
Green:
3⁄4 - 1 tsp. turmeric, 2 – 3 tbsp. chopped red cabbage, fill cup with boiling water, stir in 1 tsp. vinegar. Spinach leaves, carrot tops, and yellow delicious apple peels can also be used.
Beige to brown:
Strongly brewed coffee, limes, pecan, or walnut shells can be used.
Another method - Place eggs in a single layer in a pan. Cover with water. Add 1 tsp. vinegar and dye materials of choice. (Brighter, deeper colors require more dye material.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool quickly. (sit bowl in ice water) Allow to set, covered in the refrigerator overnight if more color is desired. Drain and dry.
From www.sonnewald.org
i had decided to color easter eggs naturally using similar recipes for this year when I saw a snippit of the idea in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I am always looking for ways to green our life at home and for the first easter egg coloring session of my daughters life( she was too young last year at not quite 6 months old) I thought this was a perfect idea. I hope to post pics of the colors we create on my blog next week. Thanks for the added directions it will help along my experience.
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