Dyeing Eggs

Eggs can be dyed when they are hard boiled or when they are hollowed out. Whichever you choose, the steps below will help in creating wonderful colored eggs.

Preparing eggs for decorating

Hard Boiling Eggs

Pierce the large end of the eggs with a pin. This pierces the air cell, allowing the air to escape, preventing a flat spot from being formed on the large end of the egg during the cooking process. It also helps in making the eggs easier to peel after cooking.
Pour cold water into a saucepan and add 1½ teaspoons of salt per quart of water. (The salt may help make the peeling process easier). Make sure there is enough water in the pan so that the eggs will be completely covered. Bring the water to a boil and with a large spoon, place the eggs into the water.
When the water returns to a boil, turn down the heat so that the water is at a low simmer and then begin timing the eggs for the desired doneness. Do not cover the pan.

If you would like to display your eggs, it is a good idea to “blow out” your eggs before decorating. Poke a whole in each end of a raw egg, the largest whole on the large end, with a pin. With the pin, break up the yolk on the inside of egg. Blowing through the small end of egg, blow the insides of the egg through the large whole. Wash egg and let dry before decorating.

Preparing the dye

Preparing the dye to color eggs can either be done with a store bought kit or made at home with food coloring. For the store bought kit, follow the directions on the package. To make dye at home be sure that you have enough containers available for each color that you want to create. Each color will need 1 cup of water, 2 teaspoons distilled vinegar and the desired food coloring.

Gather all of the ingredients needed. Make sure to lay out old newspapers or paper towels on the work surface to soak up any spills that might occur.
Add the vinegar to the water and the desired number of drops of food color to achieve the color that you want.
Carefully lower the egg into the dye with a spoon or egg dyeing utensil that comes in most egg dyeing kits. Make sure that the egg is completely covered with the dye.
Allow the eggs to sit anywhere from two minutes to overnight to reach the desired color. When finished, carefully remove the egg from the dye, pat dry with a paper towel and allow to dry competely on a wire rack.

Color Chart