How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs without Chemicals

I really like few issues greater than a basket full of colourful Easter eggs. Easter is necessary to our household and one in all our favourite occasions of the 12 months, however I usually discover myself aggravated with the over-commercialization of what I take into account a non secular vacation. I additionally get peeved when Easter will get changed into an excuse to let children (and ourselves) over-indulge in treats stuffed with sugars, meals dyes, and synthetic substances.

This 12 months, I’m making an attempt to make our celebration of Easter extra targeted on the precise purpose for the vacation. (Hint: It would not 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!

“Natural” Easter Eggs and Easter Baskets… Too Extreme?

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

This might sound excessive to some. Certainly, there may be nothing fallacious with an occasional indulgence in a meals that’s lower than wholesome. But I feel most involved dad and mom would agree that children today are getting these indulgences a little bit too usually. From the birthdays of each child of their class in school to Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Easter, and many others., there are greater than sufficient alternatives for youths to get the message that enjoyable and celebration = unhealthy tasty candy meals.

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

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

How to Dye Easter Eggs Without Chemicals

Eggs are one in all our favourite meals, so I actually have no issues with the eggs themselves. (As it’s possible you’ll guess, it’s the plastic, candy-filled variations I take problem with.)

It seems that the harmless-looking colour tablets that you just drop into vinegar water to dye Easter eggs include dangerous chemical compounds that would have an particularly unhealthy impact on some children. True, we do not eat the shells, however since eggshells are permeable and a few children are so delicate to the consequences of synthetic meals dyes, I believed it was price exploring extra pure choices.

Option 1: Store-bought Egg Dye

To dye Easter eggs naturally the simple means, use a secure, pure meals coloring and blend in accordance to the next ratios:

Option 2: Homemade Egg Dye from Beets (and Other Fruits and Vegetables)

If you do not have pure meals coloring round (we frequently do not), you may as well use random fruits, veggies, and herbs to accomplish the identical factor. We tried this just a few years in the past and will likely be doing it once more this 12 months.

Below are the meals that may be added to boiling water whereas cooking eggs to make varied colours. You may juice or boil the substances, cool, add vinegar, and use it as an everyday egg dye:

• Blue Coloring: Add a cup of purple cabbage or blueberries to the water when boiling the eggs.
• Green Coloring: Add a cup of spinach or just a few teaspoons of spirulina to the boiling water. You may juice greens, combine the juice with vinegar, and use it as a cool dye as soon as the eggs are cooked.
• Red/Pink Coloring: Pomegranate or beet juice is added to the boiling water. You may 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 just a few 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 feel are extra lovely than the neon eggs created by the bogus colours. Just a warning, although, you will not be getting any florescent shades with these strategies!

Strategies for Easter Egg Hunts

I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of Easter egg hunts and would forgo them fully, however the children do actually look ahead to them. Unfortunately, they normally lead to a big bag of sweet that by some means disappears when my children are sleeping (possibly the Easter Bunny stole it!)

In the previous, we have additionally hidden hard-boiled eggs for them to discover (the canines discovered those they missed!) or simply had a household day exterior that concerned quite a lot of different actions. Last 12 months, 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).

While I want the alternate options as an alternative of an egg hunt, this 12 months 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.

Healthy Candy-free Easter Basket Ideas

I haven’t got any drawback with Easter being a time of festivity and small items. As I discussed earlier than (in all probability an excessive amount of!), it is the plastic, candy-filled components of this celebration I take problem with. That being mentioned, I really like baskets and retailer every part in them, so our youngsters get a (reusable) basket annually stuffed with (non-sugary) goodies.

Here are some concepts we have tried over time which have been successful!

Grow Your Own Grass

Using 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 just discover beneath the sofa in September. Kids love the novelty of rising grass indoors, and as a bonus, grass is meant to be nice at cleansing indoor air. You may even plant it exterior with the youngsters after Easter. If you are not up for rising your personal grass, shred paper in a shredder and use it as an alternative. Recyclable when carried out!

Instead of a Basket, Give Your Child a Flower Pot

In 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 children can use them within the kitchen! This is assured to present enjoyable longer than plastic toys and pixie sticks.

Check Out Thrift Stores

We are on a price range, and doing Easter baskets for every child certain provides up! Check out native thrift shops for some enjoyable items for Easter baskets. For occasion, one 12 months every of our youngsters acquired a film, a e-book, and a few sneakers, and I spent lower than $10 whole.

Adopt a Family Pet

If you’re courageous, take into account a small pet. This reinforces the “new life” focus of Easter and will likely be much more thrilling than sweet and toys. Just be humane! Only undertake a pet if you happen to plan to maintain it and take care of it, as many child chickens, geese, and rabbits are deserted after Easter.

Give Healthy Foods Instead of Junk

If your children are wanting ahead to edible treats, substitute some treats with ones which might be wholesome and enjoyable. Consider beef jerky, fruit, nuts, or do-it-yourself vitality bars. Really courageous? Make some do-it-yourself “peeps” with my probiotic marshmallow recipe.

Check out this put up for another Easter basket concepts! Happy Easter!

What are your favourite methods to dye your Easter eggs? When it comes to sweet, do you persist with wholesome variations of the standard treats or simply let the youngsters benefit from the unhealthy variations for a day? I’d love to hear your suggestions and methods under!