Over the past few years, I've tried various things from the garden and pantry to dye eggs, so this year I tried a few new things, plus some I've done before. I used duck eggs since they are white and take color better than brown eggs.
My method is easy: Boil a kettle full of water. In the meantime, pour about 2 teaspoons of white vinegar into coffee mugs, add whatever you're using to dye the eggs, place an egg in each mug and cover with the boiling water.
Stir with a wooden chopstick occasionally, letting the liquid cool to room temperature (about 2 hours). Refrigerate overnight for a more vibrant color or remove the eggs when you have achieved the color you desire and let dry completely.
Once dry, rub a bit of cooking oil onto the surface of each egg with a cotton ball for a nice sheen.
Stir with a wooden chopstick occasionally, letting the liquid cool to room temperature (about 2 hours). Refrigerate overnight for a more vibrant color or remove the eggs when you have achieved the color you desire and let dry completely.
Once dry, rub a bit of cooking oil onto the surface of each egg with a cotton ball for a nice sheen.
So here's what I used:
Violets - Pale lavender
Spinach - Pale green
Beet Juice - Rose pink
Beet Tops/Greens - Pale blue
Turmeric - Yellow
Carrots - Pale orange
Some more dye color options include:
Purple Cabbage - Blue
Purple Cabbage + Turmeric - Green
Yellow Onion - Orange
Blueberries - purple/blue
And once you're done dyeing your eggs, give your chickens the vinegar water/veggie mixes. They will love them!
Purple Cabbage - Blue
Purple Cabbage + Turmeric - Green
Yellow Onion - Orange
Blueberries - purple/blue
L to R: Beets, Turmeric, Purple Cabbage + Turmeric, Yellow Onion, Blueberries
And once you're done dyeing your eggs, give your chickens the vinegar water/veggie mixes. They will love them!
Happy Easter!
For some deep, earth- and jewel-toned dye ideas, read HERE.
To learn how to create marbled eggs, read HERE.
For a helpful guide to which breeds lay colored eggs, read HERE.