Naturally Dye Your Easter Eggs

This month happens to be National Nutrition Month, Frozen Foods Month and Easter. When we were planning out our blogs, we kept asking ourselves “Is there something that would fit all 3?” As we were sitting around, eating copious amounts of fruit (as you’d imagine any dietitian meeting going), it literally popped into our head (and mouth): BLUEBERRIES! It’s the perfect food to fit all that this month has to offer.

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month. The theme for 2016 is "Savor the Flavor of Eating Right," which encourages everyone to take time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, great flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives.

Blueberries are the perfect way to Savor the Flavor with friends, with family, at work and on the road.  And, as an added bonus, eating these plump pearls can improve memory, cognition, mood and lower risk for heart disease.

Frozen Foods Month

Frozen blueberries often get overlooked. Buying these blue beauties frozen is an affordable way to Savor the Flavor year round.

FUN FACT: You might be surprised to know that thawing blueberries in the microwave retains twice as many of their antioxidants than being thawed at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Easter

We love that you can use the juice from thawed blueberries to naturally dye your Easter eggs. Check out this fun recipe!

Materials:

White eggs and carton

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

Coffee filter

Wide mouth mason jar

White vinegar

Slotted spoon

Coconut or olive oil (optional)

Instructions

1) Start with boiled eggs. Set eggs aside and let cool while you make the dyes. (Tip: Try hard boiled eggs in the oven. Place one egg in each of 12 muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Submerge the baked eggs in ice water for 10 minutes. They peel easily and taste like "butter"!)

2) To make blueberry dye, pour the blueberries into a medium sauce pot and add 1 1/2 cups of water or enough to cover the berries by about an inch. 

3) Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and then let simmer on low for 30 minutes. 

4) Strain the mixture through the coffee filter into the mason jar. Fill the jar only up to an inch below the brim. 

5) Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the mixture. Stir and let cool. 

6) Once the dye reaches room temperature, lower up to two eggs into the mixture, making sure that they are fully submerged. Add more dye if needed.

7) Refrigerate eggs in the covered mason jar until the desired color is reached. Plan for at least two hours, although overnight is recommended. 

8) Carefully remove the eggs with the slotted spoon and let dry, preferably in an egg carton. 

9) Optional: to give the dried eggs a nice sheen, use a paper towel to gently polish them with a small amount of vegetable oil.

10) Refrigerate dyed eggs until ready to use.