Easter eggs

[Cyclingrelf]

When I was little, my uncle (from Brighton area) told me how they used to make patterned eggs by dyeing them with onion skins. Apparently, they used to place leaves on the egg to make a pretty pattern, then wrap it tightly in newspaper and tie the bundle with string. You then boil the egg in a pan with onion skins.

Since then, I've looked up dyeing eggs on Google and found some suggestions that sounded like they might make things easier...using nylon stockings instead of newspaper for one. So...I saved up onion skins and finally had a go myself this year.

I blew the eggs, as I want to be able to keep them (at least for a bit!!). I had collected a sandwich bag full of the dry, reddish skins from outside normal onions. I put about half the bag in a pan full of water and simmered them for a while. The water was quite red by the time I added the eggs.

Next, I collected some leaves from the garden. I tried lemon balm, herb Robert, clover and dandelion leaves. With hindsight, I can tell you the thin, smooth leaves (clover and dandelion) worked best.

To decorate the eggs, I took an egg and wet it to help the leaves stick. I laid a wet piece of kitchen towel on the table and used it to help me wrap leaves onto the surface of the egg. Once wrapped, I put the whole in a nylon pop sock and closed it with an elastic band. Basically, where leaves are pressed onto the egg shell, the dye can't get there and it stays pale.

Once all the eggs were wrapped, I dunked them into the onion water that was still simmering on the stove. Because I had blown the eggs, they didn't want to stay under, so I used a small pan lid to weight them down

Next, I simmered the eggs in the dye for well over 20 mins because I got distracted. Then I took them out of the dye and let them cool down a bit

Then it was the great reveal...I unwrapped the eggs. I'm glad to say the design doesn't 'run' so this is an easy step. You can use a tissue or towel to dab them dry if you like. I also had to blow the dye water out of my eggs.

Out of interest, I sieved the onion skins out of the water and put it in a glass jug to see the colour

I am really pleased with them

I have painted them with clear nail varnish to make them look glossy

Well worth the effort! Next year, I'm going to try purple cabbage as well as onion skins. Apparently, that dyes the eggs blue!

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[SaraR]

When I was little, my uncle (from Brighton area) told me how they used to make patterned eggs by dyeing them with onion skins. Apparently, they used to place leaves on the egg to make a pretty pattern, then wrap it tightly in newspaper and tie the bundle with string. You then boil the egg in a pan with onion skins.

Since then, I've looked up dyeing eggs on Google and found some suggestions that sounded like they might make things easier...using nylon stockings instead of newspaper for one. So...I saved up onion skins and finally had a go myself this year.

I blew the eggs, as I want to be able to keep them (at least for a bit!!). I had collected a sandwich bag full of the dry, reddish skins from outside normal onions. I put about half the bag in a pan full of water and simmered them for a while. The water was quite red by the time I added the eggs.

Next, I collected some leaves from the garden. I tried lemon balm, herb Robert, clover and dandelion leaves. With hindsight, I can tell you the thin, smooth leaves (clover and dandelion) worked best.

To decorate the eggs, I took an egg and wet it to help the leaves stick. I laid a wet piece of kitchen towel on the table and used it to help me wrap leaves onto the surface of the egg. Once wrapped, I put the whole in a nylon pop sock and closed it with an elastic band. Basically, where leaves are pressed onto the egg shell, the dye can't get there and it stays pale.

Once all the eggs were wrapped, I dunked them into the onion water that was still simmering on the stove. Because I had blown the eggs, they didn't want to stay under, so I used a small pan lid to weight them down

Next, I simmered the eggs in the dye for well over 20 mins because I got distracted. Then I took them out of the dye and let them cool down a bit

Then it was the great reveal...I unwrapped the eggs. I'm glad to say the design doesn't 'run' so this is an easy step. You can use a tissue or towel to dab them dry if you like. I also had to blow the dye water out of my eggs.

Out of interest, I sieved the onion skins out of the water and put it in a glass jug to see the colour

I am really pleased with them

I have painted them with clear nail varnish to make them look glossy

Well worth the effort! Next year, I'm going to try purple cabbage as well as onion skins. Apparently, that dyes the eggs blue!

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

Very pretty!

Red cabbage dye is great fun. Super easy to make (smelly though) and changes colour depending on pH!

 

[Kadushu]

Very interesting! I recently had a dye related accident. I boiled up some blackberries in a cast iron pot and willfully ignored that the acid from the fruit would react with the iron. The result was a vivid royal blue which stained the enamel in my bowl and stained my teeth for a day or so too!

 

[John Fenna]

As kids we dyed eggs with onion skins just by drawing designs with a candle onto the eggs, then boiling the eggs with onion skins to get patterned eggs for breakfast and/or hard boiled eggs for lunch

 

[Jared]

Did as a kid too. Though pretty sure used tea. Boiled the eggs and then throw in a tea bag and leave for a half hour. Fish the bags out and add couple of teaspoons of vinegar.

 

[Toddy]

Those are excellent (eggcellent ) Susannah

All of our eggs are brown It's hard to dye those ones.
I used to just blow them and paint designs on them with matchpot paints. Hung them up on a bundle of willow branches in a big jug.

Onion skins are a good safe dye to use when working with children.
Add a little salt and it helps fix it.
Nothing toxic to fret about.

 

[Broch]

As kids we went on an Easter egg hunt in the grounds of an estate house. The eggs were painted hard boiled eggs and we ate one or two during the search. The problem was my little brother found one left over from the year before! - he was ill

I remember marbling eggs with my mother. Hard boil, then tap the eggs to crack the shell all over but not break them, soak in tea or coffee. When cold the shells came off and the eggs had a marbled decoration on them.

 

[Tengu]

I remember when most eggs were white.

 

[Broch]

Strangely, our local supplier (we buy from the farm gate at £1 a half dozen ) has just switched from brown to white at the request of Waitrose his main customer.

When I was a kid, white eggs were the norm and 'special eggs' were brown; now, it's the other way round!