By Meg Barkley
Spring colors are beginning to submerse the Napa Valley landscape. The season welcomes fruit tree blooms in colors of snow white, pale pink and brilliant lavender. Bright daffodils pepper vineyard lanes. Nestled in between the rows of vines are vibrant cover crops of fava beans, red clover, and wildflowers. You may see rich colors of grey and brown dotting the vines, those are our friendly wooly eaters, otherwise known as sheep who graze and mow during the spring. The Clif Family Farm chickens are busy at work laying nutritious and delicious eggs in shades of deep chocolate, blue, green and pink.
In celebration of the Easter season, we would like to share with you how we dye eggs naturally at Clif Family.
Ingredients needed for each color solution:
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp. white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. brown or white Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. salt
• Oil, as needed (preferably plant-based)
For coloring, try these ingredients depending on the color desired.
• 2 tsp. turmeric – Yellow
• 1 cup yellow onion skins – Orange
• 1 black tea bag – Brown
• 1 cup purple cabbage, chopped – Blue
• 1 cup beets, diced – Pink
• 1 cup, deep pigmented red wine, (like Clif Family Arriva Dessert Wine) – Maroon
DIRECTIONS:
Boil eggs and set aside. You can use white, brown, or any color of egg to start. Bring eggs to room temperature before you dye.
For each color solution, bring water, sugar, salt, and coloring agent to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid from the solids into a bowl (or glass mason jar) and add the white vinegar. Discard the solids.
Submerge the eggs into the dye solution. For the most vibrant colors, leave in the solution overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Remove the eggs from the dye and dry them with a paper towel. Gently rub them with a light layer of olive oil to create a shine.
Keep finished eggs refrigerated until use.
