How To Dye Easter Eggs with Hawaii Nutrition Company Herbologie Turmeric Powders
Ingredients
- Unpeeled, hard-boiled, white or brown eggs, at room temperature, not fresh)
- Water
- 2 tablespoons ground turmeric per cup of water
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar per cup of dying liquid
- Liquid neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed
Equipment
- Saucepan with lid
- White dish
- Fine-mesh strainer
- A second saucepan or bowl
- Baking dish or other container
- Paper towels
Instructions
Gather your ingredients
You can make separate batches of different colors or one large batch of a single color. Follow the ratios given above for each ingredient to make more or less dye.
Add water to a saucepan
Pour the amount of water you need for the dye you’re making into a saucepan.
Start making the dye
Add the dye matter (powdered turmeric) and bring the water to a boil.
Adjust the heat
Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
Check the color
The dye is ready when it reaches a hue a few shades darker than you want for your egg. Drip a little dye onto a white dish to check the color. When the dye is as dark as you like, remove the pan from the heat and let the dye cool to room temperature. (I put the pot on my fire escape and it cooled off in about 20 minutes.)
Strain the dye
Pour the cooled dye through a fine-mesh strainer into another saucepan (or into a bowl then back into the original pan if that’s all you have).
Add vinegar
Stir the vinegar into the dye — use 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of strained liquid.
Pour the dye over the eggs
Arrange the room-temperature eggs in single layer in a baking dish or other container and carefully pour the cooled dye over them. Make sure the eggs are completely submerged.
Put the eggs in the fridge
Transfer the eggs in the dye to the refrigerator and chill until the desired color is reached.
Dry and oil the eggs
Carefully dry the eggs, and then massage in a little oil to each one. Polish with a paper towel. Store the eggs in the refrigerator until it is time to eat (or hide) them.
Other ingredients for dying:
There are other fabulous natural ingredients you can use to dye eggs. Here’s a cheat sheet:
The Formulas for Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
Per cup of water use the following:
- 1 cup chopped purple cabbage = blue on white eggs, green on brown eggs
- 1 cup red onion skins = lavender or red eggs
- 1 cup yellow onion skins = orange on white eggs, rusty red on brown eggs
- 1 cup shredded beets = pink on white eggs, maroon on brown eggs
- 2 tablespoons ground turmeric = yellow eggs
- 1 bag Red Zinger tea = lavender eggs
- Add one tablespoon white vinegar to every cup of strained dye liquid.
- For every dozen eggs, plan on using at least four cups of dye liquid.
Learn more about the Benefits of Turmeric