It seems like Easter is right around the corner. So, we we wanted to let you in on one of our secrets now: tea-dyed eggs.
Nope. We didn’t say tie-dye. When you’re coloring Easter eggs this year, try experimenting with tea-dying them for a change of pace. It’s an all-natural way to craft beautiful eggs that definitely stand out from the typical artificial food dyed colors. They won’t give you the super brights that dyes do, but you’ll get some wonderful earthy colors that seem to have been laid by some exotic and wonderful birds, complete with speckles, swirls, and a watercolor vibe.
To make this egg-speriment work:
— Steep very strong tea using 3 tea bags (or 1 iced tea filter bag) per 4 eggs in 16 ounces of water. (Let the tea steep for 8-15 minutes. You can steep longer if you want a deeper color.)
— Adding a tablespoon of white vinegar will help set the color.
— Leave the tea bags/tea leaves in the water and allow the steeped tea to cool to room temperature.
— Place the eggs in the the tea for at least 4-6 hours. (Put them in the refrigerator during this process so the eggs do not spoil.) Go longer for deeper color.
The eggs in our pictures were in the teas noted above for 6 hours. As you can see, some of the colors became quite deep. The intensity and exact shade of your eggs will depend on how long you let them soak and the strength of the tea.
Here are some great tea blends to try for those deep, rich, hues:
Berry Hibiscus Iced Tea: Speckled Deep Slate Purple (this one probably could have come out sooner for a more reddish purple color)
Zesty Hibiscus Ginger: Bluish Purple
Ginger Turmeric: Pastel Yellow
Papaya Strawberry Iced Tea: Speckled Goldenrod
Gnarly Black Iced Tea: Dramatic Burnt Sienna
