| The most beautiful dyes for Easter eggs come from | | | | than about twelve hours some of the colorsjust get |
| foodstuffyou probably already have in your kitchen. | | | | muddier instead of deeper, and the lighter shadesare |
| I have been delighted with the results of the colors I | | | | more vibrant. |
| havetried and my friends have been thrilled to receive | | | | Try these foods to dye your eggs: |
| them asspringtime gifts. The colors are very unusual -- | | | | Red - Pink -- lots of red onion skins, cranberry juice, |
| gentle,earthy, soft, and very vibrant, without being harsh | | | | orfrozen raspberries. |
| like theartificial dyes -- and when I tell people the colors | | | | Orange -- Yellow onion skins |
| comefrom plant dyes, they always want to know the | | | | Brown -- Red beet skins or grape juice (produces a |
| origin of eachcolor. | | | | beautifulsparkling tan), coffee. |
| To color these eggs, you boil the eggs with the | | | | Yellow -- Saffron, tumeric or cumin, orange or lemon |
| dyestuff,rather than boiling the eggs separately and | | | | peels,or celery seed. |
| they dyingthem. | | | | Green -- spinach, or carrot tops and peels from Yellow |
| Here are the general directions: | | | | Delicious apples for a yellow-green. |
| 1. Put raw, white-shelled, organically-raised eggs in | | | | Blue -- Red cabbage leaves make the most |
| asingle layer in a pan. Cover with cold water. | | | | incrediblerobin's-egg blue. |
| 2. Add a little more than a teaspoon of white vinegar. | | | | Deep Purple -- Red wine makes a beautiful burgundy |
| 3. Add the natural dyestuff for the color you want | | | | color |
| your eggsto be. (The more eggs you are dying at a | | | | Tips for successful results: |
| time, the more dyeyou will need to use, and the more | | | | * Use filtered or distilled water. Chlorine and |
| dye you use, the darkerthe color will be.) | | | | otherchemicals will work against the dye, making it less |
| 4. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer | | | | intense. |
| for 15minutes. | | | | Buy distilled water or use your own filtered water. |
| 5. Quickly check the eggs for color by removing them | | | | * For deeper colors, use more dyestuff or let the eggs |
| fromthe dye liquid with a slotted spoon. | | | | soaklonger. |
| If the color is as desired, pour off the hot dye liquid | | | | * For even coverage, cook eggs in a pot large enough |
| andrinse the eggs immediately in cold water to stop | | | | to holdenough water and dyestuff to completely cover |
| the eggsfrom cooking. Continue to change the water | | | | the eggs, evenafter some of the liquid has evaporated |
| until it stayscool in the pot because the eggs are no | | | | during the 15 minuteof boiling. |
| longer releasingheat. Drain and allow eggs to cool in | | | | * Again, for even coverage, if you continue to soak |
| the refrigerator. | | | | the eggsin the refrigerator after cooking, make sure |
| If you wish a deeper color, strain the hot dye liquid into | | | | the eggs arecompletely covered with the dye liquid. |
| acontainer, then rinse the eggs immediately in cold | | | | * Blot the eggs dry or allow them to air dry, as for |
| water tostop them from cooking. Continue to change | | | | somecolors the dye will rub off while still wet. On the |
| the water untilit stays cool in the pot because the eggs | | | | otherhand, if you wish to make a white pattern on the |
| are no longerreleasing heat. Drain the last of the cold | | | | egg, youcan rub off some of the dye for some colors |
| water, then coverthe eggs with the strained dye liquid. | | | | immediatelyafter cooking. |
| Add more water ifnecessary so that the eggs are | | | | * Make sure eggs of different colors are completely |
| completely covered. Put intothe refrigerator | | | | drybefore piling them up in a bowl together, as wet |
| immediately and keep eggs in therefrigerator until the | | | | dye fromone egg can transfer to another. |
| desired shade is achieved. Overnightis good. Longer | | | | |