Easter (Oestara) Eggs! Done naturally! ... who knows what's in those dye pellets, anyway

With Easter rapidly approaching, and 2 little kids at home who can't wait to have an Easter Egg hunt tomorrow morning, I absolutely had to dye some eggs.  We just did a dozen this year, but we dyed them the natural way because I really want to eat them, not just look at them.  And, quite frankly, those dye pellets they sell in the store scare me more than a little  bit...

We get our eggs from our butcher.  We usually get a dozen or two gorgeous brown jumbo-sized ones (free-range, collected by the guys that work at the butcher shop).  Today I bought 1 dozen of my usual brown beauties, and 1 dozen white eggs (still local, but from about 1 hour down the road) for dying.  I usually prepare my eggs as a meal by themselves.  No meat needed...  which is how I justify including them in out weekly food budget.

Gorgeous Naturally-Dyed Easter Eggs

Per cup of water use:

    

• 1 cup yellow onion skins — makes orange
• 1 cup chopped beets — makes pink on white eggs
• 2 tbsp ground turmeric — makes yellow eggs
• 4 teabags Green Tea-- makes green eggs
• 2 tbsp ground paprika--makes reddish-orange eggs
• 1 cup chopped purple cabbage — makes blue on white egg

 For each color you choose to make, bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add your ingredient. 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. Strain liquid into a wide-mouth mason jar.   Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to every cup of strained dye liquid. 

Allow dye to cool.  

Hard boil 1 dozen eggs.  Let cool.

Put your eggs in your desired color and transfer to the refrigerator.

Allow to chill until the desired color is reached. Carefully dry the eggs, and then rub each one with a little bit of vegetable oil if you want them to shine. Polish with a paper towel. Store the eggs in the refrigerator until it is time to eat (or hide) them.