So I've been wondering... Is there a way to dye my eggs naturally this Easter? I really hate adding chemical things and colorings to my food. So I never do. Except when it comes to dyeing the eggs on Easter. And that stuff passes through on the egg white which makes me go 'ugh' when I'm about to eat it. Yeah, yeah, I know, they say it's safe to add to your food and eat it too but it does not look that appealing really.
So the easiest way to dye eggs is the traditional old-fashioned way. Dye eggs with onion skins.
Can Onion Skins Really Dye An Egg?
I've been asking myself that question. Thinking: -But how? It's simple, you just boil the eggs directly into the dye. And how do you make the dye? You simply boil the onion skins in a water and vinegar solution. The vinegar helps the color to get absorbed by the eggs. And the color you'll end up with depends on:
-How many onion skins do you use.
-In how much water are the onion skins boiled into.
-The color of the egg, whether it's a white or brown egg, it produces different color shades.
-How much time do the eggs stay in the dye.
How To Not 'Brake An Egg'
Boiling the eggs directly into the dye might sound a bit risky. What if an egg breaks when you dip it in and gets all colored up inside? No worries, this is very unlikely to happen as long as you add a good amount of salt to the water, which helps prevent the egg from breaking. And as long as you dip the eggs gently into the water and don't toss them in. Nothing can save them in that case and you'll make a nice Eastery omelet. Ok, enough talking. Let me show you how easy it's done.
What you will need is:
- 2,5 liters of water
- the skins out of 10 large onions
- 200 ml red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 10 eggs
- olive oil
- paper towels
Make The Dye:
Add the onion skins to a medium-sized cooking pot.
Oops! Someone's got caught snooping! Yeap, that's Danny who waits for the moment I turn my back, to do naughty things (which happens all the time).
Curiosity satisfied! Moving on...
Pour the 2,5 liters of water and the 200 ml of vinegar into the pot. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 10-15 minutes to cool slightly.
Dye The Eggs:
Wash the eggs well and dry them with a kitchen towel.
With a tablespoon, dip the eggs carefully one by one into the dye. Once you have added all the eggs into the pot, transfer the pot to the heat again and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and let the eggs rest in the pot for at least half an hour. Transfer the eggs to a plate and let them dry. Do not rub the eggs while they're still wet.
Glaze The Eggs:
Add some olive oil on a paper towel and rub each egg gently until it gets shiny all around.
NOTE: If you do not want that marble-like look on the eggs then simply strain the dye in order to remove the skins, before you add the eggs in.
But Before You Go... Don't miss the most delicious Greek Sweet Easter Bread (Tsoureki) and, and...
The Traditional Greek Easter Cookies. All buttery, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth cookies! Okay, that's all! Happy Easter everyone xxx!
How To Dye Eggs With Onion Skins
Ingredients
- 10 eggs
- the skins out of 10 large onions
- 2,5 litters of water
- 200 ml red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- olive oil
- paper towels
Instructions
- Add the onion skins to a medium-sized cooking pot.
- Pour the 2,5 liters of water and the 200 ml of vinegar into the pot. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 10-15 minutes to cool slightly.
- Wash the eggs well and dry them with a kitchen towel.
- With a tablespoon, dip the eggs carefully one by one into the dye. Once you have added all the eggs into the pot, transfer the pot to the heat again and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the eggs rest in the pot for at least half an hour. Transfer the eggs to a plate and let them dry. Do not rub the eggs while they’re still wet.
- Add some olive oil on a paper towel and rub each egg gently until it gets shiny all around.
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