The only really green way to colour your eggs for a sustainable Easter this year!
DIY with simple, healthy ingredients for a #PlasticFreeEaster even the Easter bunny will approve.
Natural Dye Colour Palette
We found the simplest natural lists for home-made natural dyes you can safely use to colour your Easter eggs. The ingredients are all household staples, or at least easily added to your grocery list and plant based!
Add 1 tbs white vinegar to every cup of strained dye liquid.
For every dozen eggs, use at least 4 cups of dye liquid.
For every cup of water in the pan use:
Lavender: 1 cup pure grape juice, 1 bag Red Zinger tea, or 2 cups violet blossoms mixed with some lemon juice, 1 cup red onion skins
Yellow: 1 cup orange / lemon peels, 2 bags chamomile tea, 2 tbs ground turmeric
Blue: 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup pure grape juice, 1 cup chopped purple cabbage
Green: 1 cup spinach leaves
Orange: 1 cup yellow onion skins, 2 tbs paprika, or 2 tbs chilli powder
Pink:1cup cranberries, 1 cup raspberries, or 1 cup shredded beets
Brown: 1 cup coffee / black tea
Red: 1 cup pure pomegranate juice + pink salt, 1 cup red onion skins (sometimes goes lavender)
Place your eggs in a single layer in a pan
Add water until the eggs are fully covered
Add the natural dye ingredients (measured as per indicated) - you can mix them up and experiment with new colours
Bring the water to a boil
Reduce heat and just simmer for another 15 minutes.
How to get more intense colour: You can choose the intensity of the colour by letting eggs sit longer in the dye. For this, temporarily remove the eggs from the water, and strain the dye. Cover the eggs with the filtered (more intense) dye overnight in the fridge.
How to get a naturally dyed egg to shine: natural dyes won't shine but you can remedy that with a little coconut oil once the eggs are dry.
How to naturally dye brown eggs: you can colour them the same way, but you will need more of the colour and the result will vary.
Tips for natural dye coloured Easter eggs
Eggs lose carbon dioxide and moisture over time, so if you plan on peeling your eggs to consume them (don't waste food!), older eggs are easier to peel.
Vinegar is essential in that an acid is needed to bind the dye to the egg surface, without which you will be left with a pale, lacklustre coloured Easter egg. The more vinegar, the brighter the colour.
Use warm or hot water to help the dye absorption. For this reason, the water should always be warmer than the eggs themselves.
You will have coloured hands (if not you, your kids will) before the eggs are even done. No panic, it's all natural, and it can come off with a cloth soaked in some vinegar and a layer of baking soda and water paste.
Dye your easter eggs & tag us in your photos!