Easter has always been a big deal on the Farm. When the girls (Jessica & Vanessa) were children Nancy Brey would hide 100+ hard boiled and dyed eggs around the house. Outside egg hunts included plastic eggs with prizes inside.
As the years have passed dyeing eggs has continued, but only as a center piece to grace the table during holidays meals.
Recently, we tried a classical color palette made with food ingredients. These muted colors of purple-grey, yellow, orange, and brown are all made with vinegar and dye made from steeped plants. These are the natural colors historically used to dye eggs before the invention of food coloring.
Purple-grey = blueberries or blackberries
Brown = tea bags
Orange = yellow onion skins
Yellow = pomegranate skins
Other color variations from food items are pink/purple = purple cabbage leaves; bright pink / red = beets, or turmeric power = yellow
All food items were added to a small pot of simmering water and steeped for over an hour; the longer the better. Do not boil as high temperatures destroy the color pigment.
The tea was allowed to cool slightly to about 100 degrees, 1-3 TB distilled white vinegar was added.
We strained the plant material out of the dye, but you can leave it for a mottled design.
Insert hard-boiled Brey's Eggs into dye, let sit for at least three minutes. Rotate for even color.
We imprinted designs on our eggs of grass, clover, and over plants by inserting the plants and the eggs inside tightly wound pantyhose.
Order Double Yolk eggs for dyeing for a super large dyed egg!