Using all natural dye, you can make the most gorgeous Easter Eggs Dyed with Blackberries. This fun activity omits all the chemicals and artificial colors from the egg-dying tradition!
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Easter Eggs Dyed with Blackberries
Natural dyes are becoming more and more popular as people battle food allergies and sensitivities to dyes. So why not try something new this Easter and dye eggs with all-natural colors?
These Easter Eggs colored with natural blackberry dye are the third in a series I'm sharing with Natural Dye Easter Eggs.
These beautiful eggs are all made without artificial food coloring! Aren't they gorgeous with the pinks, yellows, oranges, and blues/purples? I love the light and unique colors so, so much.
To create these all naturally colored eggs, you'll only need a handful of basic pantry staples plus something for the color (teas, blackberries, beets, ground turmeric, etc.).
Ingredients
Water - for boiling the blackberries and making the dye.
Blackberries - Blackberries are best when in season and you can get large, plump berries that are completely ripe.
White Vinegar - the acid in the vinegar helps the color bind to the eggshell. Without the vinegar, the colors will be very faint.
Boiled Eggs - boil the eggs ahead of time and allow them to cool to room temperature so you can handle them. I share how I make boiled eggs in my Instant Pot here.
Equipment
You don't need anything special to make these natural dyes.
- Large stockpot and/or saucepan to boil the water and the beets.
- Strainer
- Masher
- A large glass bowl for soaking the eggs
- Slotted spoon
How to Make Easter Eggs Dyed with Blackberries
- Add the water and blackberries to a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn them down and let them simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Smash the blackberries, then stir and let them simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Strain the solids out of the mixture and add the vinegar to the remaining liquid.
- Add the boiled eggs to the liquid and let them set in the dye until they reach the color you desire. I left them in the dye for about 8 hours.
- Use a spoon to remove any accumulated foam from the top of the dye and gently remove the eggs from the bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Place them on paper towels to dry. Flip them over after a few minutes onto new, dry paper towels for them to finish drying.
- Have fun!
I was so pleasantly surprised to find that this natural dye won’t produce just one color on the eggs. It turns out to be a gorgeous mottled color of blues and purples and it’s absolutely stunning.
Pro Tips
- Some other recipes on the internet call for only 1 tablespoon of vinegar and when we tried that, it didn’t allow the dye to really cling to the eggs. So, it’s imperative that you use enough vinegar in your mixture. However, don’t go overboard (more than 1 cup) or the vinegar could actually eat through the shell of the egg.
- We dyed about 12 eggs at once, but you can dye however many you want, you just might have to do it in batches like you would with most dying techniques.
- These eggs were left in the dye for about 8 hours. You can play with how long you want your eggs in the dye depending on the depth of color you like. You will get varying shades of color as you would with any dying technique.
- If you want to skip a few steps, you can use fresh (unboiled) eggs and boil them in the blackberry mixture as you prepare it. You’ll want to increase the cooking time of the blackberries to about 30 minutes with this method.
- To dry the eggs, place them on paper towels. After a few minutes, flip them over and remove the damp towels so they can fully dry.
- With this natural dying process, the eggs will not be perfect. Each egg will have its own unique design and color pattern.
- If your eggs crack when you boil them, I don't recommend dying them. Consider eating those a snack or save them for another recipe (like my favorite potato salad).
- I used store-bought white eggs to make our Easter eggs. If you use brown eggs, you will get an entirely different palette of darker colors.
More All-Natural Easter Egg Variations
- Brown/Orangeish Eggs: Easter Eggs Dyed with Black Tea
- Pink/Purple Eggs: Easter Eggs Dyed with Beets
- Yellow Eggs: Easter Eggs Dyed with Turmeric
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