Dying Brown Eggs

Will I ever outgrow the fun of coloring Easter eggs?  Not as long as I have family around.  Even after the girls left home, one or more of them would gather around the table a few days before Easter to plunge 2 dozen boiled white eggs into a rainbow of colors.  White eggs?

The breeds of hens that I raise lay brown eggs.  And  like most people, I assumed that dying them would be a problem.  So each year, I have dutifully made my way to the supermarket’s egg display to buy my sale-priced, 2 dozen, white eggs while my hens produced dozens of beautiful eggs–mine for the taking.  Not this year.

I recently read an article on dying brown eggs and decided to give it a try.  I purchased the same cheap dye kit that we have always used and hard boiled the eggs just like always.

Here are the results.

Are you surprised?  Me too!  The colors are actually more vibrant and have a beautiful sheen.  Thinking that brown eggs might need a longer soaking time to absorb the color, I left the first 6 in the color cups for about 5 minutes; the second 6 for only 2 or 3 minutes.  There was no noticeable difference.

As my husband admired the eggs, he asked the question that is on all of our minds:  “So with white eggs being less than a dollar and brown eggs being $3.50, why would anybody want to spend the money to dye them?”   And, if all they will be used for is an egg hunt, okay, I might agree.

But I want to eat these eggs, while maintaining our healthy food choices. Deviled eggs, egg salad, dipped in a bit of salt, we love hard-boiled eggs.   Yes, I want to be able to have my colored egg and eat it, too!  This year I have learned that I don’t have to compromise which makes me feel pretty good about serving them to those I love.

Happy Easter, Everybody!  Remember…the holiday isn’t about a bunny.  It’s about a Lamb.