This came in from our friends at The Produce Box, and we just had to share. What a great idea to get into the spirit without all the chemicals! Check out more of their natural living ideas on their blog. Have fun, Smarties! – The Smarty Team
How to Make Naturally-Dyed Easter Eggs
Makes 1 dozen eggs
Materials:
– 1 dozen hard-cooked eggs, room temperature
– 4 cups dye liquid made from any of the following:
– 1 cup chopped purple cabbage/cup of water makes blue on white or green on brown eggs
– 1 cup red onion skins/cup of water makes lavender or red eggs
– 1 cup yellow onion skins/cup of water makes orange on white or rusty red on brown eggs
– 1 cup shredded beets/cup of water makes pink on white or maroon on brown eggs
– 2 tablespoons ground turmeric/cup of water makes yellow eggs
– 1 tablespoon white vinegar per cup of strained dye liquid
Neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed
Directions:
1. Pour the amount of water you need for the dye you’re making into a saucepan .
2. Add the dye matter (purple cabbage, onion skins, etc.) and bring the water to a boil.
3. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 15 to 30 minutes. 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.
4. When the dye is as dark as you like, remove the pan from the heat and let the dye cool to room temperature.
5. Pour the cooled dye through a fine-mesh strainer into another saucepan. Stir the vinegar into the dye — use 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of strained liquid.
6. 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.
7. Transfer the eggs in the dye to the refrigerator and chill until the desired color is reached.
8. Carefully dry the eggs, and then massage in a little oil to each one. Polish with a paper towel.
9. Store the eggs in the refrigerator until it is time to eat (or hide) them.
Here’s a testimonial from The Produce Box customer Courtney Lyons. She lives in Ballantyne with her husband and three kids – 1, 6 and 8 years old.
I cook most nights for my family and menu planning for the week is the key for making that work for us. With The Produce Box, I have a salad or vegetable side ready for most every night of the week (and fruit for the kids lunches, too). I find I save time and money at the grocery store and the produce is so much fresher and tastier. I also use the add on artisan items to put together an entire meal or two. The Friday delivery is perfect because we are low on groceries and energy after a busy week, so I make sure to add pasta from Mellinas and Nello’s Sauce which I combine with Bibb lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers for an easy to assemble dinner.
My kids love to see what’s in the box each week and this week they were jumping up and down when they saw the greenhouse strawberries!
We love supporting NC farmers while enjoying better, fresher fruits and veggies!
About the Produce Box
The Produce Box delivers boxes of fresh, North Carolina local fruits and vegetables to the doorsteps of its members across the state. Members receive an e-mail each Friday with what’s in season and expected to come out of the field the next week. They have until Sunday night to choose online to order a pre-packaged box filled with produce, pick their own items to be delivered or skip for the coming week at no charge. There are no contracts, long-term commitments or confusing points systems to keep track of.
Find them at www.theproducebox.com, on facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Also, check out their blog for fun, fresh recipes.
