EASTER, NATURALLY.
As seen in the previous post, Jesse and I are taking today off. So, we decided to dye some Easter eggs! We wanted to try a more natural approach, as we are a very Anti-Food Coloring (it is gross...plus I am allergic, so we are enemies). For the how-to, you can find endless resources online (especially Pinterest these days), but I used instructions from the first issue of taproot magazine. It is the most lovely and wonderful of all magazines, full of inspiration for homesteaders, homemakers, homeschoolers, and the like. Amanda Soule of SouleMama is the editor, and I have a major lady crush on her. Anyway, the magazine suggests many different ideas for dyes: beets, tumeric, onion skins, blueberries, cranberries, coffee grinds, etc. I used curry and paprika as well. For each color, use one quart of cold water, two tablespoons of white vinegar, and a small amount of whatever you want to use for color.
Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for twenty minutes. Add the eggs and let simmer for another half an hour. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to let them dry on a paper towel.
I personally love the way the eggs look, very soft and earthy. But if you wanted to achieve a bright color, I would suggest making a heavily concentrated mixture. Blueberries and curry worked great, coffee was alright, the paprika was bleh. It was fun experimenting, though...switching the eggs from one bath to another while they cooked to try to create new colors.
Do you have any tips for dying eggs? What spices or foods do you use for color? I am eager to keep trying, playing with different ingredients...but I'm not sure how many hard boiled eggs we are prepared to eat this week!
- Hannah.