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Naturally Easter!

Article Author Christina Allis - Sawyer Garden Center

In an age where things are more convenient but less natural, it is always a good idea to show kids the not-as-easy way of doing things. Buying a kit with dyes in it is very easy and convenient, but naturally dying eggs can be more time spent interacting and learning. So when I heard my 12 year old niece Eliza was in town, I thought this would be a great learning opportunity for her. She not only learned a few new things, but had fun doing it!

What you need:

  • Red onions
  • Raw beets
  • Red cabbage
  • Turmeric
  • Coffee
  • White Vinegar

Plus, a couple sauce pans, glass bowls and spoons.

Start by boiling the eggs and chopping the red cabbage. Also separate the outer skin of the onion and shred the beets. I let the 12 year old do this because she didn’t care if her hands were stained red for a week.

 

Boil the cabbage, beats, and onion skins in separate pots for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can judge if the water is ready to dye by observing a spoonful to see if the color is prominent. Once you think the color is ready, strain and transfer the colored water to a glass bowl and set outside or put in the fridge to cool.

For the Turmeric, just dissolve 1 tablespoon per cup of water. The more you use, the darker the yellow. Fun fact for the kids: Turmeric is commonly used as a dye in Indian and Bangladeshi clothing, such as saris and Buddhist monks’ robes!

Once you have all of your colors made and cooled, add roughly 1 tablespoon of white vinegar per cup of dye water. We used little solo cups as individual dying pools for the eggs. For best results, the eggs need to sit overnight in the fridge. Plus it is fun for the kids to wake up and see the eggs have changed colors! For easier, safer storage we put the dye and egg in a plastic bag and then back into the cup.

And in the morning they look like this!

The color results we received were:

Beets – Bright Pink
Red Onion – Light Pink
Cabbage – Blue
Turmeric – Yellow
Coffee – Brown/Rust
I didn’t think about it until the next morning, but I am sure it is possible to achieve green by mixing some of the yellow and blue dye waters together. Try it for yourself and see what happens!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy Easter!

Thanks for reading!

Christina Allis
Sawyer Home & Garden Center
[email protected]