Sunday morning I got up early to dye Easter Eggs using spices, herbs, teas, vegetables, and assorted juices. I've always been hesitant to use commercial egg dyes since getting sick after eating an Easter Egg when I was a kid, therefore I was delighted to learn actual food could be used to color eggs. The results were mixed, with some dyes barely tinting the eggs and others giving a soft color. The basic recipe uses one cup of hot water in which to dissolve the spices and a tablespoon of vinegar. The eggs soaked for 60-90 minutes. I used one teaspoon of ground spice per cup - not quite enough, but a good start. Next time I'll use more spice. A light rub with olive oil after they dried gave the eggs a nice sheen.
Here's the list and results:
Fresh spinach (a good handful boiled for a long while) - not much color change and really icky, slimy spinach to strain out
Celery Seed - no color change
Mexican Saffron - very pretty light orange
Chili Powder - light orange
Curry Powder - pretty yellow
Ground Sage - nice greenish brown
Paprika - pale beige orange
Beet Juice - pale pink
Cherries in Wine (canned last summer) - purplish grey
Raspberry Tea - soft grey
Black Tea (Barry's) - varied browns
Dried Hibiscus Flowers - mottled grey
Setting up for egg dyeing with spices and teas.
My favorites turned out to be the oranges and yellows: Mexican saffron, chili powder, curry powder, and paprika.
While I took the natural route, my brother and nephew used pens for a different take.
Eggs to warm a rocker's heart.
Oh, and a Storm Trooper too.
Eggs to warm a rocker's heart. 