How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs

Colorful easter eggs in a basket on a wooden table.

How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs

Do you love dyeing Easter eggs? Consider ditching traditional store-bought egg dye kits for a more creative, easy-to-follow approach by exploring natural egg dyeing techniques. This alternative allows you to achieve unique, a vibrant hues, elevating your festive egg decorating experience beyond the ordinary colors.

Course eggs

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

dye time 15

Total Time 1

Servings eggs

Calories 93kcal

Author Jere' Cassidy

Equipment

Ingredients

½ head red cabbage
3 each red beets
2 tablespoons turmeric
6 tablesoons white vinegar
8 cups water
12 boiled eggs use this guide to boil eggs

Instructions

Note on time: Once you start dying the eggs, you can decide how long to leave the eggs in the dye baths. They can be in for as little as 15 minutes for a light color or leave them in the dye overnight in the refrigerator for a dark color.
Peel and chop three beets, and put in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover with four cups of water. Bring to a boil of medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Chop half a head of red cabbage and place in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover with four cups of water. Bring to a boil of medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Strain the liquid to remove the cooked solids, then pour the colored dye into large bowls. Add two tablespoons of white vinegar to each.
Strain the liquid from the cabbage and the beet to remove the cooked solids, then pour the colored dye into large bowls. Add two tablespoons of white vinegar to each.
Add two tablespoons of ground turmeric powder to a large bowl and add four cups of boiling water. Stir to dissolve, then add two tablespoons of white vinegar.
Place four hardboiled eggs in each dye bath, making sure they are fully submerged. Aim for a subtle tint for 10-20 minutes, while a more vibrant color may require up to an hour to several hours in the dye. Place the eggs in the refrigerator if you dye them longer than an hour for food safety. You can leave the eggs in the fridge overnight for even deeper colors.
When the desired egg shell color is reached, remove them to a paper towel with a slotted spoon to dry completely before storing them.
Once the eggs are dry, store them in the refrigerator.

Notes

Use your leftover dyes to make other egg colors. If you want to do this make sure to boil extra eggs.

- Mix the blue and yellow dyes for green eggs.

- Mix the red and yellow dyes for orange eggs.

- Mix the red and blue dyes for purple eggs.

As a reminder - The boiled eggs should not be left out for more than two hours if you are planning on eating them later. Keep them refrigerated.

Nutrition