Easter is right around the corner, and with it comes the traditional dyeing of eggs. The only problem with dyeing eggs is the chemically-filled color tablets most people use. Check out the ingredients for the most common color tablets...
Sodium Bicarbonate, Maltodextrin, FD&C Yellow No. 5, Modified Cellulose Gum, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Blue No. 1. Magnesium Stearate, Zinc Stearate, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium.
Yikes! That's a lot of artificial colors and preservatives — things I don't feel comfortable eating myself, nor would I want to feed my kiddos.
I want my 2 boys to be able to dye eggs this year... and be able to eat them when we're done. That's why I did some research to find a much more natural approach to this activity. There are MANY natural foods that will work great for dyeing Easter eggs.
Here’s the basic method:
Here are some recommended ingredients for making a variety of colors. Typically, you should use about 1-2 cups of fresh produce or 2 tablespoons of a spice.
Pink/Red Eggs: cranberries, raspberries, coarsely grated beets
Yellow Eggs: ground turmeric, lemon or orange peels, chamomile or green tea
Orange Eggs: chili powder, paprika
Green Eggs: spinach, kale
Blue Eggs: blueberries, blackberries
Purple Eggs: hibiscus tea, red wine
Dyeing eggs can be a fun tradition to add to your Easter celebrations. I hope you'll give these natural dyes a try this year!