Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
These gorgeous eggs are a celebration of nature, and all the amazing colours it provides. Watching the eggs turn into festive, fun colours is pretty magical, and seeing all the eggs together looks like a bundle of jewels. An Easter picnic or shared meal is such a lovely way to spend the long weekend with loved ones, and with so much sugar on offer, these beauties are a savoury, colourful option to the mix.
The eggs we’ve used have come from the mother of one of the team, who lives on a beautiful lifestyle block with hens, roosters and baby chicks, and some of the hens are just starting to lay so the wee eggs come in various sizes as they get used to their new task.
Depending on what you have available, white eggs and brown eggs can result in a very different colour palette, so just use whatever you can get and have a play!
As a guide, you’ll find the colours your vegetable and fruit provide are:
Purple cabbage = blue on white eggs, green on brown eggs
Red onion skins = lavender or red eggs
Brown onion skins = orange on white eggs, rusty red on brown eggs
Shredded beets = pink on white eggs, maroon on brown eggs
Ground turmeric = yellow eggs
Red Zinger tea or any berry tea = lavender eggs
•
Because these are naturally dyes, they are 100% safe to consume as boiled eggs once they’ve been coloured. Just boil the eggs first and let them cool before you dye them. Alternatively, you can prick the eggs and drain them to do some easter baking and dye the empty shells for simple Easter decorations.
Have fun with this one! And don’t forget to tag us in your pics on social - @steensmanukahoney
INGREDIENTS
Hard-boiled eggs, room temperature (white or brown eggs, preferably not super-fresh)
Water
1 cup chopped purple cabbage per cup of water
1 cup red onion skins per cup of water
1 cup yellow onion skins per cup of water
1 cup shredded beets per cup of water
2 tablespoons ground turmeric per cup of water
1 bag Red fruit tea per cup of water
White distilled vinegar (1 tablespoon per cup of strained dye)
Liquid neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed
EQUIPMENT
Saucepan with lid
White dish
Fine-mesh strainer
A second saucepan or bowl
Baking dish or other container
Paper towels
1
Follow the ratios given above for each ingredient to make more or less dye for each colour you’re wanting. You’ll need a separate pot of water for each colour.
Pour the amount of water you need for the dye you’re making into a saucepan.
Add your chosen veggie (purple cabbage or onion skins, etc.) to your pot and bring the water to a boil – remember to just add one veggie per pot of water so you don’t mix your colours!
2
Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
The dye is ready when it reaches a hue a few shades darker than you want for your egg. Drip a little dye onto a white dish to check the color. When the dye is as dark as you like, remove the pan from the heat and let the dye cool to room temperature.
3
Pour the cooled dye through a fine-mesh strainer into another saucepan (or into a bowl then back into the original pan if that’s all you have).
Stir the vinegar into the dye — use 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of strained liquid.
4
Arrange the room-temperature eggs in single layer in a baking dish or other container and carefully pour the cooled dye over them. Make sure the eggs are completely submerged.
Transfer the eggs in the dye to the refrigerator and chill until the desired color is reached. The longer you leave the eggs in the dye, the darker they will become. If they’re still not as dark as you want, keep the dye in the dish, take the eggs out and let them dry, then pop back into the dye for a bit longer until they’re the colour you’re after.
5
Carefully dry the eggs, and then massage in a little oil to each one. Polish with a paper towel. Store the eggs in the refrigerator until it is time to eat (or hide) them.
