Natural dyed Easter eggs..

I am seeing a lot of posts on dying Easter eggs with natural dyes apposed to the artificial dyes sold in the stores.  As I was reading I realized that I already knew how to make the most beautiful maroon colored eggs using onion peels and have been doing it for years now!

Way back in my college days I spent a couple of Easters with my bff Susan and her family.  Her mom would make these amazing eggs by boiling them with onion peels.  I was truly awe struck at the simplicity of the technique, yet the complexity of the color that was created.  Years later I started making them myself and have worked out a system that works pretty good.

It all starts for me the week after Easter when I start to save my egg skins.  Now, I have read that you can get color variations by using different colored skins, like keeping the red skins separate from the yellow. But I like just putting them all together.  I store them in a gallon size zip top bag left open in my pantry.  Every time I  get an onion out to cook with, I save the skin.  I leave the bag open so that if any of the peels have moisture on them, I won't get mold.  By the next year I have a pretty full bag and am ready to make the dye.

In a medium size pot I put about 1/2 cup of vinegar, the bag of peels and enough water to cover.  Boil over medium heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. Then cover and cool.

Once cooled you will have this amber colored dye to use on eggs, or just about anything I would imagine.  

I poured my dye back in the pot and stored it in the fridge until I was ready to color my eggs.  

Once ready, place the eggs in the pot and boil. If you do not have enough dye to cover the amount of eggs you are coloring, you can add more water. Boil as you would normally do to cook an egg, but watch for the color change. If you want to get a darker color, try leaving the eggs in the dye once cooked.

If you notice the color variation I have, it is because I left some skins in the pot. I happen to like them rustic looking. However, if you want to go for a more solid color, strain the dye of all the skins before you boil.

Another style I have seen is to take small greenery and stick it to the eggs before dying. You can also use a white crayon, wax, or stickers even to achieve the same effect. 

As a side bonus, the eggs seem to pick up an onionish taste from the dye.  I love them!

Happy dying!