FINGER PAINTED EASTER EGGS

Start with a dozen free-range white eggs, hard boiled and chilled. When ready to paint, make sure eggs are well dried. A gentle sanding with light grade sandpaper will help the colours adhere. Use any of the foods listed below as natural finger paints.

To create a colour that is relatively uniform, rub the food being used in even, vertical strokes. Work section by section until the desired look is achieved. Start with dry fingers and periodically wipe them on a paper towel to keep them from getting too moist. When done, allow egg to dry. If bits of the food fibre have stuck to the egg, you can whisk them away with a q-tip or tissue.

Turmeric

Make a paste of turmeric and water. Rub into egg as indicated above for a rich yellow colour.

Spinach

Spinach leaves create a beautiful pale green. Take a few leaves and fold in half, pressing until leaves snap apart at the crease.  Rub green juice all over egg and colour as indicated above.

Blueberries

For a bluish mauve colour, we used two frozen blueberries, thawed. Gently squeeze a berry to get the juice flowing.

Beets

Beet juice also creates a mauve colour with a more purplish hue than blueberries. Slice a beet and rub cut side in vertical strokes along a section of the egg and colour as indicated above. If beet is getting too dry, cut off a thin slice to get the juice flowing again.

Cranberries

Create a baby pink colour with two frozen cranberries (thawed). Like the blueberries, gently squeeze the cranberries to get the juice flowing. For a deeper colour you could do a second coat with beets. . . or even with blueberries for an interesting experiment.

Dye Methods that Work in Minutes

Onion Skins

Wrap an egg with outer onion skins and secure with rubber bands. Place in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pan with tongs or a slotted spoon and allow to cool. Unwrap egg. The result will be a gorgeous sunset colour with interesting patterns.

Red Cabbage

Boil a couple handfuls of finely chopped red cabbage in water until it is mushy and most of the water is gone. Allow to cool. Smother a hard boiled egg in the mush and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, "smoosh" the cabbage all over the egg allowing it to drop into the pot. Remove excess cabbage with a quick rinse under the tap. The result will be a beautiful robin's egg blue.

To view a large image of the egg display, please click here.

Recipes by: Robin Russell

"There are probably many more foods that will colour eggs using the finger painting method. You could try black cherries, raspberries, blackberries and spices such as paprika and chili powder. Frozen concentrated Acai juice might also work. Acai is a purple brazilian berry high in antioxidants that's becoming a popular beverage in North American health food stores. Every time I drink it I end up with a purple smile, so it wouldn't surprise me if it stains eggs too."

Recipes Published: Spring, 2006

Robin's Kitchen

Previous page - | - Home Page

The content on this site should not take the place of advice from your doctor. Visitors to this site agree to the terms and conditions in the disclaimer.

Copyright © 1999-2010 Robin L. Russell