Spring on the farm is a very exciting time. It is a time of renewal and rebirth that can be seen everywhere. Rhubarb, lettuce and kale are starting to grow in the garden, baby chicks, goats and lambs are being born. Egg production is increasing after a long winter, just in time to celebrate Easter with the tradition of decorating and coloring chicken or duck eggs. Most of us grew up using the store bought egg coloring kits that include artificial dyes, stickers and shrink wraps, all packaged up and ready to use. But, did you know that you can naturally dye eggs from materials found right out of your garden, pantry and kitchen? Not only can you color eggs using fruit, vegetables and spices, you can decorate and design eggs using grains, leaves and twigs. It takes a little more effort and creativity, but the results are outstanding.
Let’s Get Started
Start with the freshest-laid eggs from organic or free-range chickens. If you do not have happy hens of your own, look for a farmer selling them at a local farmers market, co-op or farm stand. Brown eggs can dye just as well as white eggs and, in fact, will produce a richer color. First, boil your eggs in water, taking them out before they crack.
While your eggs are boiling, peel several onions (red or yellow), chop some cabbage, dice a beet, grab some spinach and get out some frozen blueberries. We found some mason jars that we filled up about 1/3 to 1/2 way full. Nice right?
You can add two tablespoons of any spice and get fantastic colors. We used tumeric for the color yellow.
We used chili powder for orange.
And brewed up some extra strong espresso coffee for our dark brown color.
You will end up with eight jars total. Pour boiling hot water over the ingredients. Fill all of the jars up about half way, making sure to cover ingredients.
Add two tablespoons of vinegar in each jar. The colors will not set without vinegar.
After the jars have cooled, strain the ingredients and put your new dye in a fresh container.
Add your eggs, one at a time, until you have around three to four in each jar.
After adding your eggs, place all jars in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. The longer you leave them, the more intense the color will be.
When you take the eggs out, place them on a drying rack to dry. Rub them with vegetable, coconut or olive oil to polish them up, before you showcase them as a work of art on your countertop, hide them for a Easter egg hunt or place in beautiful baskets (we found ours at a second hand store). Aren’t you proud of yourself?
How To Make Natural Food Dyes
Using fresh foods results in the most vibrant of colors. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables will work, but not as well. Coffee, juice and spices create darker hues. The following will give you a great start to deciding what colors you want to create.
- Blue: red cabbage, purple grape juice, red wine
- Lavender: blueberries
- Green: spinach, parsley
- Yellow: tumeric, orange peels, lemon peels, birch leaves
- Orange: yellow onion skins, paprika, chili powder
- Pink/red: beets, red onion skins, rasberries, cranberries, red pepper
- Brown: very strong coffee, black tea, walnut shells
- Note: you can mix any of these primary colors to create secondary colors such as; red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green and blue and red make violet.
Materials Needed
- Mason jars or small bowls
- Measuring spoons
- White vinegar
- Mesh strainer
- Large pot
- Large metal spoon
- Olive, coconut or vegetable oil
- Drying rack
Decorating Tips
- Use a beeswax crayon to draw designs before the egg is dyed
- Brush on melted beeswax with a thin brush
- Wrap the egg with rubber bands or bakers twine if you want stripes
- Gather any kind of leaf, twig, or even flower petals and firmly place against the egg. Wrap the egg in hosiery and tie tightly. This will make sure your design doesn’t shift. Place in any dye.
- Tie dyed Easter eggs
- Use silk ties to dye your eggs
Starts To a Great Harvest
Get ready, get set, get started planting those seeds that have been carefully hand-selected from a seed catalog, over the long winter months, or meticulously saved from last year’s harvest. All farmers—urban, suburban, and rural—are in high gear this time of year, taking stock of seed supplies, prepping soils, and planting in hopes for a successful harvest. Maximizing a spring, summer, or fall harvest always starts with high-quality seeds. The seed and initial planting processes help determine the health of plants and their yields. Will they survive the devastating affects that harsh weather and disease can have on a plant? Start by purchasing hardy heritage and/or organic seeds, if possible, and pay close attention to the planting instructions on the back of a seed packet.
All seeds sprout and grow at different rates, so timing is very important. Your last spring frost date determines how many weeks before planting you should sow. Some seeds can be directly sown right into the ground, such as carrots, radishes, beets, and beans. Others, like tomatoes, melons, and squash are sown indoors first to get a head start and then transplanted. Growing plants from seed is not only less expensive, but gives anyone the great satisfaction of being a part of something miraculous, much like a first time parent seeing their baby grow tall, strong, and healthy.
How Do Our Babies Grow?
Living in the Pacific Northwest makes for a shorter growing season. This means we take advantage of hoop houses, greenhouses and indoor south facing windows to jump start our seeds. Always consider your climate and growing cycles when planting and never be afraid to experiment and try something new. We are trying eggplant this year, which is typically a southern climate crop. According to the OSU Master Gardener Program, you should not expect more than 65 to 80 percent of seeds to germinate. Our success rates fell into this estimation. Take a look for yourself.
Our cantaloupe and watermelon (above) are off to a great start. Along with our Kentucky pole beans we saved from seed last year.
If this chicken was real, our baby bok choy would be eaten in an instant.
There’s something truly beautiful about this lone ranger of an onion.
And our leaf lettuce has been growing tall, thanks to Farmer Robert, who loves watering our starts almost as much as his legos!
Planting
There are four essential elements that affect a germinating seed: water, oxygen, light, and heat. A steady supply of water is needed to ensure germination. It’s important to keep the soil moist at all times, but not too wet so as to prevent rotting. Using a soil-less medium to plant your seed, that is loose and aerated, allows the proper oxygen flow. Most seeds need 14-16 hours of light daily. This can be provided and controlled under grow lights or a nice, sunny south-facing window. Without adequate light they will become tall and leggy. Temperature is another important factor in germination. Generally, 65-75 degrees is best for most plants. A good rule of thumb is to plant your seed two-three times its width under the soil, so all essential elements can have their proper effects.
Feeding
It is time to start feeding your seedlings once they develop their second set of true leaves. Fertilizing is critical to a successful growth rate. If you use synthetic fertilizer, use half the fertilizer called for a regular plant. You do not want to run the risk of over-fertilizing and burning them. A mix of fish emulsion and kelp is a gentle and organic way to go.
Transplanting
You might need to thin your seedlings out or transplant them into larger pots. Transplanting can keep them from the elements a bit longer and ensure their strength. Tomato and pepper plants are great candidates and love being babied a bit longer. It’s best to gradually get your plants used to an unsheltered life outdoors. Exposing them several hours a day, for 7-10 days before planting, allows them time to get hardened off.
Using Fun Containers to Plant Your Seedlings
Always remember to poke holes at the bottom of any container that you use to provide proper drainage.
What seeds are you starting this spring? Are you inspired to plant your spring seeds this year? Leave us a comment below and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
We wish you all the best and hope your harvests are grand!