Eggs to Dye For

You can dye an egg with natural dyes in two ways – either use the boil method or cold dip method. If you want rich, vibrant colors, but don't intend to eat the egg, use the boil method. For an egg that is more kid friendly and edible, use the cold dip method.

To use the boil method, place half a dozen eggs in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the eggs by one inch of liquid. Add about two tablespoons of white vinegar and a natural food dye, like a quart of coffee. Let the pot warm on low heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. The final result will be a richly colored egg, ready to decorate for Easter!

For the cold dip method, have your food dye ready. Next, place half a dozen eggs in a large pot and add two tablespoons of vinegar. As with the boil method, make sure the eggs are covered with an inch of water. Heat on low and let the pot simmer for 20-30 minutes. Immediately remove the eggs and let cool. Now you're ready to dip the hard-boiled eggs in the natural food dye and place them in the refrigerator. You can soak the eggs anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the richness of the hue you want to achieve. Remember to turn the eggs every so often to achieve an even color.

Hint: For more ideas of natural food dyes, check out our tip, the "Natural Way to Dye Easter Eggs".

Natural Way to Dye Easter Eggs

You can get some surprisingly rich colors from food products that you have in your home to dye your Easter eggs. If you want to forgo the commercial products available on the market and use natural dyes, here are some things you can try:

• Four cups of shredded cabbage and a quart of water make a blue hue.
• For an orange hue, add 4 tablespoons of water to paprika.
• Four cups of fresh or frozen spinach mixed with a quart of water make green.
• For mocha, use one quart of strongly brewed coffee.

Note: The above dyes should yield six colored eggs.

Homemade Chocolate Easter Eggs

Imagine the irresistible aroma of chocolate baking in your home for Easter Day. If you want to make your own homemade chocolate Easter eggs, just follow this recipe and you'll have your own sweet treats to help celebrate Easter.

You'll need these ingredients:

1 cup of butter
4 teaspoons of vanilla
2 teaspoons of salt
1 can of condensed milk
10 cups of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of yellow food coloring
1 pound of semi-sweet chocolate

Mix together butter, vanilla, and salt. Whip until fluffy. Add condensed milk, sugar, and blend to thick consistency. Knead mixture and then set aside 2/3 of the entire portion.

Take the remaining 1/3 portion and add yellow food coloring. Divide yellow mixture and white mixture into approximately 20 pieces.

Shape the yellow pieces into a ball to form the yolk. Shape the white pieces around the yolk to form an egg shape. Place pieces on paper towel to cool at room temperature for 24 hours.

The next day, melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler to a smooth consistency. Dip egg pieces and coat in melted chocolate. Allow to cool at room temperature and then refrigerate chocolate eggs.

To complete your Easter eggs, buy colored foil to individually wrap each egg!

Easter Worthy Egg

If you're thinking about coloring eggs for Easter this year, it's always best to start off by prepping the egg right. Some folks think that hard boiling an egg is the best way to get it ready for coloring, but this actually gives the egg a rubbery texture and may leave a green cast to the outer layer of the yolk. Instead, try this foolproof method to get an egg ready for coloring:

• Prick the larger end of the egg with a needle to let air escape out of the shell.
• Next, place the egg in a pot and cover with at least an inch of water.
• Bring the pot to a boil and then immediately remove the pot from the heat.
• Cover the pot and let the egg sit for 15 minutes.
• Finally, place your egg in ice water to cool for four minutes.

Your egg is now ready for coloring!

Decorative Easter Eggs

Though many think of the edible variety, not all Easter eggs are for consumption. Some eggs come with rich, decorative designs and are meant for display for many years to come. The pysanka is a Ukrainian Easter egg that uses a wax resistant method to produce intricate, delicate patterns. The Fabergé eggs, made by Peter Fabergé for the Russian Tsars over a hundred years ago, are famous for their spectacular jeweled Easter eggs.