Easter Eggs - dyed in the natural way!

The egg is nature's perfect package! It has, during the span of history, represented mystery, magic, medicine, food, and omen. It is also the universal symbol of Easter celebrations throughout the world and, as such has been dyed, painted, adorned, and embellished.

In the 19th century, German immigrants brought to the United States the tradition of coloring Easter eggs and putting them in baskets for the delight of children. Since this was before the development of commercial egg-dyeing kits, eggs were colored using various plant materials.

What a fantastic family activity to do together! You can try your hand at it this Easter using some of the ingredients listed below!
Pink or Red:
Fresh beets or Pickled Beet
Juice
Cranberries
Paprika
Pomegranate seeds - crushed
Radishes
Raspberries
Orange:
Yellow onion skins
Chili powder

Light Yellow:
Orange or Lemon peels
Carrot tops
Celery seed
Ground cumin
Yellow:
Ground turmeric
Pale Green:
Spinach leaves (Add a teaspoon
baking soda for each
1 cup water and crush leaves
as they boil.)
Green-Gold:
Yellow Delicious Apple peels
Blue:
Blueberries
Red/purple cabbage leaves
Beige to Brown:
Strong brewed coffee
Black Tea
Dill seeds
Purple:
Blackberries
Grapes

To dye the perfect Easter egg the natural way the first thing is to make sure to use non-aluminum pans when boiling your dyes. Boil your eggs in plain water first. Then boil them in the dye bath.

Some natural dyes may come to the desired darkness within just a few minutes, while others will need to steep for up to one hour. You will need the following amounts for each 1 cup of water: 1/2 cup fresh vegetable matter, berries, etc. or 2 teaspoons teas or ground spices. For fruit or vegetable juices, simply substitute the juice for the water using as close to full strength as possible for the deepest colors. The more eggs you are dying at one time, the more natural ingredient you will need to use. Adding more ingredients will also give the dye a darker hue. Once you have the dye ingredients cooked, strain or remove them so you do not have lumps or slime in your dye. Otherwise, your eggs will have mottled patterns.

Place pre-cooked eggs in a single layer in a non-aluminum pan and cover with dye bath for the color your want your eggs to be. To help the dye adhere to the eggs, add 1 teaspoon vinegar for every 1 cup of dye bath.

For the hot method, place your eggs in the dye bath and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10-30 minutes. Eggs boiled for more than 10 minutes will be overcooked but still edible and will be the most colorful. When the eggs are the desired color, remove them from the dye bath, pat dry with a paper towel and return eggs to the refrigerator.

For the cold method, precooked eggs are placed in the dye bath where they are allowed to soak for 20 minutes to overnight. Any soaking longer than 20 minutes should be done in the refrigerator to keep eggs safe for eating. When the eggs are the desired color, remove from dye bath, pat dry with a paper towel then return the eggs to the refrigerator.

If you would like to spend more time with your kids in a wonderful family experience, call me to discuss joining 4- H. Contact Angie Freel, your Saline County 4-H Agent at 501-303-5672 or email me at afreel@uaex.edu.. Check out our website at www.uaex.edu/ Saline/4H.