Even if commercial egg dyes are not available, it is still possible to color eggs. Just do it the natural way!
Pink: Fresh beets or pickled beet juice; cranberries or cranberry juice; red raspberries
Orange: Yellow onion skins; carrots
Light yellow: Orange or lemon peels; carrot tops
Golden yellow: ground tumeric (boiled)
Mint green: Spinach leaves (or another dark green leafy vegetable)
Lavender/Blue: Red cabbage leaves or purple grape juice
Brown: Strong brewed tea or coffee
Note: White eggs accept coloring best; however, you may use brown eggs if white eggs are not available. You will just need to leave eggs in natural dye overnight.
- Put eggs in a single layer in a pan. Pour water in pan until the eggs are covered.
- Add two teaspoons of vinegar. (White vinegar is best; rice vinegar also works well.)
- Add the natural dye listed above for the color you want your eggs to be. (I use about half a cup of natural dye for every six eggs. Of course, more will make colors more intense, and less will make them paler.)
- Bring water to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the substance you used to color the eggs, leaving the colored water (natural dye). Put eggs in a bowl. Cover them with the natural dye and let them stand in the refrigerator until desired color has been reached.