Not only is it better because you’re not using artificial colorings that can be harmful to your health, dying eggs the natural way is also fun because there’s no limit on the colors you can come up with, and you’re using all things from plants! We used concord grape juice, red beets, spinach, carrots, turmeric, blueberries, purple cabbage, coffee, yellow onion skins, and dried hibiscus petals. We also used uncooked eggs, not hard-boiled, so there’s no breakage or an overwhelming amount of egg salad sandwiches on the menu for the next week! Other ingredients that work great are Red Wine, Matcha, Red Onion Skins, and Rooibos Tea. See what you have in the pantry and give it a try!

Preparation:

Gather your ingredients and a quart sized (wide mouth) mason jar with lid for each one. You can use another container if you do not have mason jars handy, just make sure it’s leak proof! Clearly mark each lid with the ingredient that will go inside and set aside. Remove the eggs from the refrigerator as you are going to want to bring to room temperature before dropping into the dye.

Directions:

Start with the easy ones, in this case the grape juice and strong leftover coffee. No additional prep for these, just pour 2 cups of each into marked jars, add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into each and set aside.

For the Red Beets: Slice or dice (however you will be enjoying them later) at least 2 cups of fresh red beets and add to 2 cups of boiling water. Add 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until desired tenderness. Strain the liquid into the beet jar and allow to cool next to the other jars.

For the Spinach: Add one bunch of fresh spinach to a saucepan with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stain into marked jar and set aside with the others.

For the Carrots: Add one pouch of sliced carrots to a saucepan with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stain into marked jar and set aside with the others. (If you want a deeper orange color, go straight for the carrot juice!)

For the Turmeric: In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and 4 Tablespoons of turmeric powder. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, strain into marked jar and allow to cool completely.

For the Blueberries: Mix 2 cups of frozen blueberries with 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Mash the berries and strain into marked blueberry jar.

For the Purple Cabbage: Thinly slice 2 cups of purple cabbage and add with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to 2 cups of boiling water. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. This will pull all the beautiful purple pigment from the cabbage. Strain into the cabbage jar and allow to cool completely.

For the Onion Peels: In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and the peels from one bag of yellow onions. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain liquid into marked jar and allow to cool completely.

For the Dried Hibiscus Petals: In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and a handful of hibiscus petals. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain into marked jar and allow to cool completely.

Prepare the eggs by wiping off any moisture seen on the shell. We used both white and brown eggs as you’ll get a different outcome for each. If you have access to green or blue eggs, those can be fun to experiment with too! Carefully drop up to 3-4 eggs in each jar, tighten lid and store in refrigerator overnight. Check to make sure they are fully submerged and all getting their fair share of liquid.

Once you have reached your desired colors (this may be different for each jar), carefully remove the eggs onto a tray with paper towels. A good rub with a little bit of oil will give them a nice even shine.

And there you go. A fun experiment without the use of artificial colorings or harmful dyes!