Naturally Dyed Eggs
Makes 18 eggs
A fun way to use up kitchen scraps for a weekend project! Try your hand at arts and crafts and then save your eggs for a tasty recipe later that week.
For the dyes
- Blue: 1/2 head shredded cabbage
- Purple: 1 chopped beet
- Red: 4 cups red onion skins
- Orange: 4 cups yellow onion skin
- Yellow: 1/4 cup turmeric
- Tan: 1 cup coffee grounds
For the eggs
- 18 hard-boiled eggs
- 6 different colored dyes
- 6 tablespoons white vinegar
Instructions
- To make a dye, choose the color you’d like to make and simmer that ingredient with 4 cups of water for 30 minutes. For example, to make blue, simmer 1/2 head shredded cabbage with 4 cups of water for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, add one tablespoon vinegar and let cool. Repeat this process with each dye ingredient to make six different colors.
- Once dyes have cooled, fully submerge three hard boiled eggs in each color. For lighter, more pastel colors, leave eggs in dye for 2-3 hours. For more vibrant colors, leave eggs in dye for 5-6 hours. For deep, rich colors, leave eggs in dye in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove eggs from dye and gently pat dry. Create a fun colorful egg display by rearranging them back in an egg carton.
Notes
To make the perfect hardboiled egg, place all eggs in a single layer on the bottom of a 3-inch deeper (or even deeper) pot or saucepan. Cover the eggs with cold water so they are completely submerged. Place on the stovetop over high heat until water comes to a boil. Turn heat off and let eggs sit in hot water for 12 minutes. Drain and rinse eggs with cold water so they do not continue cooking. Peel and eat or set aside for another project (like a tasty potato salad or these colorful dyed eggs) for later.