My Easter Project

This Holy Week, as I force perfectly lovely eggs to don hues they were never meant to sport, I am exploring a new method. I am coloring with all-natural dyes provided from Mother You-Know-Who!

Fret not. I am not going all granola on all of you.

I’ve just seen in recent years some eggs with really delicate, subtle hues that were derived from things like strong tea and boiled onion skins.

So, I’ll let you know how it turns out. I feel sure that, not rendering the perfect violet egg of my Easter dreams, I shall invest all the same in a Paas kit.

My method: Put eggs in pan, covering with an excess of an inch of water over their tops. Add a teaspoon of white vinegar (some folks say salt). Add coloring ingredient. Boil. For lighter shades, turn heat off when a rolling boil is achieved. For darker colors, reduce to simmer when rolling boil is achieved and simmer 15 minutes. Fish them out, let them dry, accept the generous oohs and ahs of friends who both admire you and worry for you.

Natural dying agents:

For Red: boiled red onion skins; Orange: boiled yellow onion skins; Yellow: boiled carrot tops with cumin; Green: boiled spinach leaves; Blue: boiled red cabbage; Purple: straight grape juice; Magenta: straight beet juice; Brown: strong coffee; Beige: strong tea.