How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs without Chemicals

I like few issues greater than a basket full of colourful Easter eggs. Easter is essential to our household and one among our favourite instances of the yr, however I typically discover myself irritated with the over-commercialization of what I think about a non secular vacation. I additionally get peeved when Easter will get was an excuse to let youngsters (and ourselves) over-indulge in treats full of sugars, meals dyes, and synthetic elements.

This yr, I’m making an attempt to make our celebration of Easter extra targeted on the precise cause for the vacation. (Trace: It doesn’t have something to do with a bunny that brings eggs!)

Easter is a liturgical time of celebration, and one of many greatest feast days within the church, so I’m glad to let the youngsters take pleasure in some treats. I’m opting, although, to maintain a few of our favourite traditions with wholesome and pure twists.

Let me clarify why!

“Pure” Easter Eggs and Easter Baskets… Too Excessive?

I admit I don’t actually perceive the Easter custom of a bunny (they don’t lay eggs) delivering plastic candy-filled eggs and baskets. I believe giving our children heaps of junk meals at Easter (and different holidays) units a precedent that associates celebrations with unhealthy meals. To me, there are higher methods to develop good meals habits for a lifetime.

This will likely sound excessive to some. Actually, there may be nothing improper with an occasional indulgence in a meals that’s lower than wholesome. However I believe most involved dad and mom would agree that youngsters today are getting these indulgences just a little too typically. From the birthdays of each child of their class in school to Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Easter, and so on., there are greater than sufficient alternatives for teenagers to get the message that enjoyable and celebration = unhealthy tasty candy meals.

(Maybe that’s only a pet peeve of mine, although?!)

However let me get off my soapbox… on to Easter eggs!

The way to Dye Easter Eggs With out Chemical substances

Eggs are one among our favourite meals, so I actually don’t have any issues with the eggs themselves. (As you could guess, it’s the plastic, candy-filled variations I take problem with.)

It seems that the harmless-looking coloration tablets that you simply drop into vinegar water to dye Easter eggs include dangerous chemical compounds that might have an particularly dangerous impact on some youngsters. True, we don’t eat the shells, however since eggshells are permeable and a few youngsters are so delicate to the consequences of synthetic meals dyes, I assumed it was price exploring extra pure choices.

Choice 1: Retailer-bought Egg Dye

To dye Easter eggs naturally the simple means, use a protected, pure meals coloring and blend in line with the next ratios:

Choice 2: Do-it-yourself Egg Dye from Beets (and Different Fruits and Greens)

Should you don’t have pure meals coloring round (we frequently don’t), it’s also possible to use random fruits, veggies, and herbs to perform the identical factor. We tried this a number of years in the past and can be doing it once more this yr.

Under are the meals that may be added to boiling water whereas cooking eggs to make numerous colours. You may also juice or boil the elements, cool, add vinegar, and use it as a daily egg dye:

• Blue Coloring: Add a cup of purple cabbage or blueberries to the water when boiling the eggs.
• Inexperienced Coloring: Add a cup of spinach or a number of teaspoons of spirulina to the boiling water. You may also juice greens, combine the juice with vinegar, and use it as a cool dye as soon as the eggs are cooked.
• Purple/Pink Coloring: Pomegranate or beet juice is added to the boiling water. You may also put a few tablespoons of vinegar in pomegranate or beet juice and apply it to pre-cooked eggs as a cool dye.
• Purple Coloring: Add grape juice to boiling water or soak pre-cooked eggs in grape juice/vinegar combine.
• Yellow/Orange Coloring: Add a number of teaspoons of turmeric or saffron to the boiling water, or boil these spices in water, cool, and blend with vinegar for a cool dye.

Some notes: These pure variations make pastel-colored eggs which I believe are extra lovely than the neon eggs created by the synthetic colours. Only a warning, although, you received’t be getting any florescent shades with these strategies!

Methods for Easter Egg Hunts

I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of Easter egg hunts and would forgo them utterly, however the youngsters do actually stay up for them. Sadly, they normally end in a big bag of sweet that one way or the other disappears when my youngsters are sleeping (perhaps the Easter Bunny stole it!)

Up to now, we’ve additionally hidden hard-boiled eggs for them to seek out (the canine discovered those they missed!) or simply had a household day exterior that concerned a whole lot of different actions. Final yr, we did a treasure hunt with clues that led to a greater prize (seeds for them to plant in their very own little corners of the backyard). 

Whereas I want the options as an alternative of an egg hunt, this yr I’m letting the youngsters take part within the Easter egg hunt at church, eat a few items of the least offending sweet, after which I’ll trash the remainder after they go to mattress.

Wholesome Sweet-free Easter Basket Concepts

I don’t have any drawback with Easter being a time of festivity and small items. As I discussed earlier than (most likely an excessive amount of!), it’s the plastic, candy-filled elements of this celebration I take problem with. That being stated, I like baskets and retailer the whole lot in them, so our children get a (reusable) basket every year full of (non-sugary) goodies.

Listed here are some concepts we’ve tried through the years which were successful!

Develop Your Personal Grass

Utilizing wheat, alfalfa, or clover seeds, develop grass in a small dish that may match within the backside of your basket. Use this as an alternative of the plastic Easter grass that you simply discover below the sofa in September. Children love the novelty of rising grass indoors, and as a bonus, grass is meant to be nice at cleansing indoor air. You possibly can even plant it exterior with the youngsters after Easter. Should you aren’t up for rising your individual grass, shred paper in a shredder and use it as an alternative. Recyclable when finished!

As an alternative of a Basket, Give Your Baby a Flower Pot

Within the pot, put a small pair of gloves, a pack of heirloom seeds, and a small shovel, and let your baby develop their very own container backyard. There are even pre-made totes for this. Herbs are one simple possibility, and youngsters can use them within the kitchen! That is assured to supply enjoyable longer than plastic toys and pixie sticks.

Test Out Thrift Shops

We’re on a funds, and doing Easter baskets for every child positive provides up! Take a look at native thrift shops for some enjoyable items for Easter baskets. For example, one yr every of our children received a film, a guide, and a few footwear, and I spent lower than $10 complete.

Undertake a Household Pet

In case you are courageous, think about a small pet. This reinforces the “new life” focus of Easter and can be much more thrilling than sweet and toys. Simply be humane! Solely undertake a pet in case you plan to maintain it and look after it, as many child chickens, geese, and rabbits are deserted after Easter.

Give Wholesome Meals As an alternative of Junk

In case your youngsters are trying ahead to edible treats, substitute some treats with ones which are wholesome and enjoyable. Think about beef jerky, fruit, nuts, or selfmade power bars. Actually courageous? Make some selfmade “peeps” with my probiotic marshmallow recipe.

Take a look at this publish for another Easter basket concepts! Completely satisfied Easter!

What are your favourite methods to dye your Easter eggs? In the case of sweet, do you follow wholesome variations of the same old treats or simply let the youngsters benefit from the unhealthy variations for a day? I’d love to listen to your suggestions and tips beneath!