AU NATUREL
Ready for something new? Or rather, ready for something old that’s new again? Before people bought their Easter egg dyes at grocery stores, they would make their own from everyday goods found in the kitchen. For example, boiling eggs in black coffee can turn eggs a rich brown color, while onion skin solutions work great for tinting eggs orange. To get our naturally dyed Easter eggs in violet, yellow and blue shades, René used blueberries, turmeric and cabbage.
PRETTY PURPLE. For this violet hue, add 4 cups of blueberries and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 4 cups of water. After boiling for 20 minutes, strain the color solution into a glass canning jar and let cool. (Be sure to use a glass jar, as the mixture will be hot and may burn or discolor a plastic container.) Soak an egg in the solution until the desired hue is attained.
SUNNY YELLOW. To give your egg a yellowish shade, add 6 tablespoons of turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 4 cups of water. Boil for 20 minutes and mix well. As with the purple egg, strain your color solution into a glass canning jar and let cool. Soak the egg until it reaches your desired color.
ROBIN’S EGG BLUE. For this beautiful blue color, add 4 cups of chopped cabbage and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 4 cups of water. Boil the mixture for 20 minutes. As with the other eggs, strain the solution into a glass canning jar and let cool. Then, pop in your egg and soak until the desired color is reached.