Easter egg dying was a tradition in my home growing up. Every year my mother would pull out the same brown Mikasa mugs from 1955, and place the colorful dye pellets inside. We would wait until they dissolved, dye eggs and of course, engage in the fierce competition of who made the best egg that year.
These old brown ceramic mugs were passed down to me and I wanted to keep the tradition going with my own children. However, I was not comfortable with chemical dyes that were getting into the egg that eventually you are eating. I wanted to find a simple and natural way to dye my easter eggs.These old brown ceramic mugs were passed down to me and I wanted to keep the tradition going with my own children. However, I was not comfortable with chemical dyes that were getting into the egg that eventually you are eating. I wanted to find a simple and natural way to dye my easter eggs.
There are a few ways to do this. One you can buy natural edible dyes, which are much easier to find today than they were a few years ago. One of my new favorites is the all-natural food dyes from The Blue Chai Shop. I use these dyes not only for easter eggs but for changing the color of noodles, in smoothie bowls, and of course for cakes and treats.
Another option is simply using food-based products or food “waste” (i.e. soft berries, coffee grounds, or coffee ground) to enhance the color of your eggs or anything else you want to color in a safe and natural way. Here are some of my favorite food-based dying methods:
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Red & Pink: Beet juice, beet powder, pomegranate juice, blended currants, or raspberries.
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Orange: carrot juice, goji berries (they look red but when they sit in hot water they create a pretty orange liquid), or sandalwood powder.
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Yellow: Honestly all you need is turmeric powder! a little in a glass of hot water dissolved goes a long way. The longer you let the egg sit the brighter the yellow color
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Green: Spirulina, chlorella, matcha powder, or juiced spinach all do a nice job of giving you a pretty green color. If it’s a bluer green color as can be sometimes based on the brand of spirulina or chlorella, then add a little yellow base (a touch of turmeric) and it will give you a brighter green.
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Blue: Is a harder color to achieve. I find I need to use supplements to make this happen unless you have blue potatoes and a juicer and let them sit overnight (which works pretty well). Dried Clitoria Ternatea powder or Blue Majik from E3Live does the job.
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Purple: Blueberries, blackberries, and maqui powder all when blended with water create a nice purple color.
If you want pastel tones (Easter), then I use less color and more hot water in a mug. I also only let them sit for about 20 minutes to achieve that softer color. Oppositely, if you want bold color, use more color and little to no water in a mug and let sit for 30 minutes- 1 hour. We had so much fun with these today, the color turned out just like mini eggs which the kids totally loved. From my family to yours have a wonderful Easter.