25 28

Dye-Free Deviled Eggs

March 21, 2013

Dye-Free Deviled Eggs

I kind of went a little crazy with my artificial dye ban this year, making my own homemade easter egg dyes from different fruits, vegetables, and spices. While testing, I was definitely in mad scientist mode -- so much so that when the kids saw twenty bowls filled with different colored eggs on our kitchen counter, they looked like they didn't know whether to be overjoyed or deeply concerned over what mommy was doing. Suffice to say joy won out.

At first I dyed the eggs the same way I've done the past few years, traditionally, with their shells on. However I then thought, these dyes are natural and edible, why not try dyeing eggs with their shells off? RIght then and there I decided to make vibrantly colored deviled eggs to serve this Easter with Deviled Egg Chicks. I was amazed that I was able to get such a rich rainbow of colors -- light blue, violet, red, two shades of yellow, pink, purple, and more -- from simple cabbage, curry, beets and so on. Some of the eggs even took on the flavor of the dyes, which felt like an added bonus. This is a great way to play with your food and feel like a kid at heart.

So forget those prepackaged dye kits this year and liven up your Easter naturally!

Like this post Comment on this post

Dye Free Deviled Eggs  (makes 12 eggs )

  • Prep Time:10 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes,
  • Total Time: 30 hours,

Ingredients

  • dye combinations:
  • 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage plus 1 cup water plus 1 tablespoon baking soda (bright blueish green)
  • 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage plus 1 cup water (light blue)
  • 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage plus 1 cup water plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice (violet)
  • 1 cup chopped beets plus 1 cup water (rust/purple/red)
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder plus 1 cup water (bright yellow)
  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric plus 1 cup water (light yellow)
  • 1 cup 100% blueberry juice (purple)
  • 1 cup 100% pomegranate juice (dark purple)
  • 1 cup 100% grape juice (purple)
  • 1 cup 100% raspberry juice (pink)

  •
  • hard boiled eggs:
  • 12 large eggs

  •
  • deviled egg filling:
  • 12 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

  1. Natural Dye:
  2. 1. Place the red cabbage and beets in separate small pots and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid and cool.
  3. 2. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the cabbage water to get violet eggs or 1 tablespoon of baking soda to get bright blueish green eggs.
  4. 3. Allow the beets to soak in their cooking liquid (off the heat) for 1 hour to get red, or use immediately for a rust-ish purple color.
  5. 4. The remaining ingredients do not need to be boiled or simmered. You can just place the combinations in separate bowls.
  6. 5. Place the egg whites in the color mixtures to dye. The egg whites will begin to absorb the color immediately and will continue to darken and become more vibrant over the next 20 minutes.
  7. 6. To dye whole, unpeeled eggs, add 1 tablespoon vinegar to each color. The eggs will absorb the color after about 10 minutes, and will continue to darken and become more vibrant up to 24 hours in the liquid. If you will be soaking the eggs overnight or several hours, cover and refrigerate them.
  8. Note: to get raspberry or blueberry juice, defrost 1 1/2 cups of frozen berries and mash through a sieve or puree in a blender and strain.

  10. Hard Boiled Eggs:
  11. 1. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water and eggs to a boil over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for 12 minutes.
  12. 2. Drain off the hot water and cover with cold water to cool the eggs.
  13. 3. Peel the eggs and cut in half for deviled eggs. Leave the eggs whole and unpeeled to dye the egg shells.

  15. Deviled Eggs:
  16. 1. In a bowl, mash together the egg yolks, mustard, mayonnaise and salt until smooth. Fill the halved egg whites with the mixture and serve.
+ Recipe Box + Print 25

Related Recipes

Comments






  1. Pingback: Sweet Easter Treats | Those Young Moms

  2. Kristina

    March 29, 2013 at 3:19 pm

    Reply

    I am going to make this tomorrow – do you peel the eggs and then dye them or do you leave them in the shell? Can you cut them and take out the yolk and then dye the whites?

    • catherine

      April 1, 2013 at 10:24 am

      Reply

      You can do it wither way. If you want to color the egg whites themselves then you need to peel the eggs first. I peel, halve and scoop out the yolk before dyeing. You can slso use all these ingredients to dye eggs in their shell like traditional dyed easter eggs!

  3. Shelley

    March 28, 2013 at 3:16 pm

    Reply

    For those of you who don’t want to make your own color, Chocolate Craft (www.chocolatecraftkits.com), makes all natural dye out of plant materials for food related projects.

  4. Kelly S.

    March 26, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    Reply

    I was wondering if you knew of any tricks for getting the shells to come off smoothly (without tearing the egg white)? I read somewhere that adding a Tbls of baking soda (or powder, can’t remember which) helps, but I’m wondering if that would interact with the dye (if you want to dye them with shells on)?

    • Jenn

      March 30, 2013 at 3:20 pm

      Reply

      Hard boiled eggs is the only time I buy the cheap eggs. I have never had good luck peeling organic or local farmers’ market eggs. I just give in for this situation!

    • Krissy

      March 27, 2013 at 10:51 pm

      Reply

      Buy your eggs a week ahead of time. Eggs that aren’t “fresh” but are a few days old peel a lot better than eggs that are “fresh”. I bought all my eggs last Friday for Easter and will be boiling them and dying them Saturday..

    • catherine

      March 27, 2013 at 11:18 am

      Reply

      I peel my egg under water and that helps minimize tearing! Also, it often has to do with how fresh the eggs are!

  5. Sylvia

    March 26, 2013 at 4:45 pm

    Reply

    Since you were looking for orange…An old Polish recipe is to soak the eggs in a pot filled with the yellow onion skins (skin all the onions you have to fill up the pot and cover with some water, cook it with the eggs in it and let them sit for a while after). It makes a beautiful orange/rust color that darkens to rust brown the longer you keep the eggs.

  6. lisa

    March 25, 2013 at 7:48 am

    Reply

    great idea! I have always been so afraid of dyeing eggs with those chemical kits, Now I have got the inspiration and will go for more colors by myself :) thanks for being such a great inspiration!
    besides the idea of dyeing without the shell is great. don’t they become black? how long can you keep them in the fridge?
    thanks

  7. Karla

    March 23, 2013 at 1:37 pm

    Reply

    did you try cranberry juice? I have some and was wondering if I should bother to try it.

    • catherine

      March 25, 2013 at 11:18 am

      Reply

      I didn’t, but I think it would work if it’s 100% juice!

  8. Tricia

    March 21, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    Reply

    I used beet powder and spirulina powder as well. The spirulina powder worked great for green.

  9. Julie

    March 21, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    Reply

    I don’t see an orange color on here. Could you just mix one of the reds and yellows do you think? Did you try carrot juice for orange? Thanks for the awesome ideas! Artificial dyes are my enemy. :)

    • catherine

      March 22, 2013 at 1:44 pm

      Reply

      I haven’t tried the carrots, but I think it might work!

  10. Michelle Ritchie | Delicious Karma

    March 21, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    Reply

    Oh. My. Yum! These look amazing, and such bright lovely colors. Although I am kid-less, I think these would make a super festive appetizer idea for any holiday meal. I particularly love this recipe as I’m also passionate about being artificial color/flavor free (anything artificial, really). I’ve been reading lately about how artificial dyes can result in significant behavioral problems in kids; I’m sure they affect adults as well! Thanks for the wonderful idea!

  11. Nicole

    March 21, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    Reply

    thank you for this awesome recipe – can’t wait to see what egg salad leftovers will look like!

  12. Nichole

    March 21, 2013 at 11:59 am

    Reply

    I was wondering if it changed the taste of the eggs. I was planning on making deviled eggs for easter to take to my in-laws but they are not as adventurous/healthy as I am. I’m afraid if it changed the flavor they wouldn’t even try them.

    • catherine

      March 21, 2013 at 12:04 pm

      Reply

      Some of the flavors do permeate the egg whites, but most of them actually enhance the flavor of the eggs! Like the curry adds a fun curry flavor to the normal deviled eggs! Also, the deviled egg mixture helps to mask the slight flavor change of the egg whites!

  13. Sarah El Guerrab

    March 21, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Reply

    Those eggs look soo fun! I’m going to try them! I’ll bet it would look really neat if you also just crack the egg shell, and leave it on. It would give a neat effect also.

  14. Tracy

    March 21, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Reply

    To make the hard boiled eggs – when the water comes to a boil, do you keep the pan on the same burner (for the 12min), and do you keep the pan covered? Thanks!

    • catherine

      March 21, 2013 at 12:05 pm

      Reply

      You can leave the pan on the same burner! I leave it uncovered!

  15. Bethany

    March 21, 2013 at 11:28 am

    Reply

    not too crazy about fruit flavored eggs….

  16. Tamara

    March 21, 2013 at 11:22 am

    Reply

    How fun! I’m curious, does it change the flavor of the eggs? Also, any chance you’d share more pics with us? I want to see the blue and pink ones!

    • catherine

      March 21, 2013 at 12:06 pm

      Reply

      I showed lots of colors today on Access Hollywood Live! Some of the dyes do slightly change the flavor of the egg whites, but very slightly, and the deviled egg mixtures helps to mask that flavor!


Manage your shopping list and search for recipes from across the web at ZipList.com

Sign Up for Free Daily Recipes