Learn how to dye Easter eggs naturally with red cabbage, chemical-free and totally foolproof. Despite its deep purple/red colour, red cabbage transforms eggs into beautiful shades of blue or green depending on the colour of the egg shells and dying conditions. It's fun, a great activity for Easter, and something that can entertain kids of all ages.
As a Romanian-born Christian Orthodox, I am no stranger to dying eggs for Easter. Traditionally, eggs are dyed red, as it symbolizes the blood of Christ, but you can definitely go for various colours, and all naturally too.
While you can buy egg colouring kits, I always try to stay away from them, as they are full of chemicals that manage to penetrate the egg shells and contaminate the eggs too, which can make eggs unsafe to consume.
Plus, it's even more fun, and you can get vibrant, strong colours too using natural ingredients. I have this pos how to dye egg red for Easter using onions skins and beetroot, and I will have a separate post for dying red yellow with turmeric.
And while I absolutely love all the colours, the blue and green ones are so beautiful, definitely my favourite, as you can get so many different shades. It's so easy, and you only need 4 ingredients: red cabbage, water, salt and vinegar.
If you love Easter just as much as I do and would love to try more international recipes, you have to check out this post: Easter Dinner Ideas, as I cover appetizers, mains, sides and desserts.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredient overview
- red cabbage - I usually go for a small red cabbage, that is enough to dye quite a lot of eggs
- vinegar - you can go for any kind of vinegar, what I usually have in is cider vinegar, which works just fine
- water - the amount used depends on the pot you boil the cabbage in, we just want to cover the cabbage in water
- salt - table salt is usually the best, it helps the colour stick better to the eggs
- eggs - I used white and brown eggs to show the difference in colour
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- chop the cabbage roughly and add it to a pot
- cover the cabbage with cold water, add the salt and leave it to simmer on a medium heat for 20 minutes or until the water has turned into a deep purple/blue colour
- remove the pot from the heat, strain out the cabbage, and add the vinegar
- slowly lower the eggs into the cabbage water, and leave the eggs in the dye for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight - the longer you leave them, the deeper the colour
- brown egg shells will turn into a deep green, while white egg shells will turn into shades of blue, depending how long they stay in the dye
Expert tips
Do not rush the dying process, for deeper colours it's always best to leave the eggs in overnight, it might not look like much at first, but you'll be surprised how well the colour sticks to the egg shells.
Vinegar is a crucial ingredient in dying eggs, it helps the colour stick better and get a deeper, more vibrant hue.
Don't overcrowd the eggs, they need to be fully submerged in the dye water for an even, deep colour. You can even create patterns by sticking leaves onto the eggs and wrapping them in a cheesecloth or old tights that are cut just long enough to wrap the eggs in.
Always ensure the eggs are hard boiled before adding them to the dye water, soft-boiled eggs will be hard to peel afterwards. You can dye a lot more eggs than 6, I only did a small batch.
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How to Dye Easter Eggs with Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 4 white-shelled eggs
- 2 shelled eggs
- 1 red cabbage (700 g, 1.5 lb)
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 4 cups water (1 L)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
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Instructions
- Rinse the eggs thoroughly under cold water, then boil them for at least 10 minutes until they are hard-boiled.
- Chop the cabbage roughly and add it to a separate pan.
- Cover it with water, add the salt, and simmer it for 20 minutes on a medium heat until the water has a deep purple colour.
- Remove the pan from the heat, strain the cabbage, and reserve the liquid.
- Stir in the vinegar, then carefully submerge the boiled eggs in the dye water.
- Leave the eggs in the water for at least 2 hours, for a pale blue colour for the white eggs, and a green colour for the brown eggs.
- The longer the eggs stay in the cabbage water, the deeper the colour, I left mine in for 6 hours.
Video
Notes
- Do not rush the dying process, for deeper colours it's always best to leave the eggs in overnight, it might not look like much at first, but you'll be surprised how well the colour sticks to the egg shells.
- Vinegar is a crucial ingredient in dying eggs, it helps the colour stick better and get a deeper, more vibrant hue.
- Don't overcrowd the eggs, they need to be fully submerged in the dye water for an even, deep colour. You can even create patterns by sticking leaves onto the eggs and wrapping them in a cheesecloth or old tights that are cut just long enough to wrap the eggs in.
- Always ensure the eggs are hard boiled before adding them to the dye water, soft-boiled eggs will be hard to peel afterwards.
- The liquid is enough to dye a lot more eggs, I only did a small batch of 6, but you can definitely dye a lot more than that.
Nutrition
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