Getting ready to throw out those old vegetables? Is your fruit too bruised for eating? Reduce your waste and use these in-edibles to create an all-natural dye for your Easter eggs! I used to love dying eggs as a kid. It was the perfect combination of science, art and food. As an adult without any children, I still enjoy decorating eggs to use as a centerpiece for my Easter table. You can even blow out the inside of the egg using a heavy pin and keep the colored shells as a scent-free decoration. But, I’m tired of using those cheap looking Easter dyes from the grocery store. This year, let’s try using a natural approach. This will keep you (and even your children) entertained for hours. 

Dye Your Eggs the Natural Way

We prefer to use large, white eggs and to go the traditional route and hard-boil them. For the dye, feel free to experiment with any brightly colored food products around the home. Based on our research, the best fruits and vegetables to use include:

red cabbage ~ for blue eggs

beets ~ for light pink eggs

spinach ~ for yellow/green eggs

frozen blueberries ~ for blue/gray eggs

yellow or green apple skins ~ for yellow/green eggs

orange peels ~ for light yellow eggs

Some say that onion peels are great to achieve a light brown/orange shade, however others claim that the eggs turn an icky shade of brown. My eyes tear up every time I cut an onion, so I think I’ll avoid that one!

For vegetables:

1. Chop 2-4 cups of veggies and bring to a boil in *4 cups of water
2. Let simmer for 30 minutes, or until you are satisfied with the intensity of the color.
3. Strain the liquid to remove the bits of veggies.
4. Mix in 2 tablespoons of vinegar and voila – you have your vegetable-based dye!

*use less water if using spinach

For fruits:

1. Chop or mash 2-4 cups of fruit and bring to a boil in 4 cups of water
2. Let simmer for 30 minutes, or until you are satisfied with the intensity of the color.
3. Strain the liquid to remove the bits of fruit.
4. Mix in 2 tablespoons of vinegar and voila – you have your fruit-based dye!

Let the eggs soak in the dye until you achieve your desired color. The longer the eggs steep, the deeper the hue. Some websites suggest leaving the eggs overnight.

Try it out and send us your pics! If you experience a tragic “pintrest-fail”, at least you’ve got some boiled veggies for dinner!

Sources:

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/home/natural-easter-egg-dye/slide/1

How to Make Eco-Friendly Easter Eggs