Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs

My friend Carol forwarded me her copy of the April, 2009 edition of the Ladies Home Journal magazine. On page 194 is an article on using food to color Easter Eggs. As soon as I read the piece I started gathering what was needed to bring this colorful show to life.

For ORANGE:
Use 2 tablespoons of Paprika (I used 3 tablespoons)

For BLUE:
Use 1-1/2 cups of blueberries (I used one cup)

For PINK:
Use 1 cup of chopped, fresh beets

For GREEN:
Use 1 cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons Turmeric

For each of the colors, add 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the food or spice mixture.

According to the magazine, bring the dye mixture (water, vinegar, food or spice) to a boil, remove from heat, cool and strain liquid into a medium bowl. (I recommend using a glass bowl or a plastic food storage container). Submerge 4-6 hard-boiled eggs in the dye for up to 30 minutes. The longer the eggs are in the mixture, the more intense the color will be. Remove and place colored egg on a cooling rack with newspaper or paper towel underneath to catch drips. You can store the eggs in the refrigerator up to a week until ready to use.

Here is the result of my orange and blue natural dyed Easter Eggs. I didn't have any vinegar on hand so the colors didn't adhere as deeply as I had hoped. Still, pretty vibrant for blueberries and paprika. Give it a try!