Naturally Dyed Eggs
Ben Ashby
For years I've been wanting to jump on the natural Easter egg bandwagon, but I never had the time. This year I decided it was finally the year to give it a go. I researched a few different color ideas, and settled on a magical blue color....using a head of purple cabbage.
The process couldn't be any easier. Below are the steps I took to create the perfect blue eggs with an indigo dip dye vibe.
Ingredients:
Eggs: Obviously farm bought is preferable, but if you have to use store bought eggs buy a variety of sizes to give your egg display a more uniform look. I bought a dozen each of medium, large, and jumbo eggs at my local market.
Salt
Vinegar
Red Cabbage: I used one head of cabbage, I could have easily dyed dozens of eggs with it.
Process:
Start by bringing water in a large pot to a boil. Add a fair amount of salt and 1/3 of a cup of vinegar. These are simply to enhance the color. Chop the head of cabbage into strips. Once water is boiling add cabbage to the water. Allow to boil for 35 minutes. After the 35 minutes add your uncooked, room temperature eggs to the pot. For my eggs I knew I wanted a textured look to the dye, to create this I left the cabbage in the water and added the eggs to the pot. Cook the eggs until they are hard boiled (10 minutes). Remove the pot from your heat source and allow to sit overnight. After the desired color has been achieved remove the eggs from the pot and allow to dye.
For a glossy look rub your eggs with an olive oil coated paper towel.
**Your entire house will stink. Its vinegar and cabbage in a pot. Remember, you are creating these for the aesthetic.
