The Colorful Easter Egg!
The history of the Easter egg varies, depending on the historian. One story tells about the Roman Empire when people believed in many gods and how they obtained favors from them. The Spring Goddess Ostara or Eastre was worshiped and honored by offering her baskets of colored eggs, and it is also said that her favorite pet was a hare.
During the early Christian era, and particularly during the time of Charlemagne (800-814 AD), Lent was observed by abstaining from eggs. This practice lasted until 1784. During the time of Lent all eggs that were collected from the hen houses had to be kept either for hatching, or were kept safely to be eaten at Easter. To be kept edible for several weeks the eggs were dipped into melted mutton fat or wax. At Easter they were then decorated to make them more attractive. According to folklore these pretty eggs were given to children, because it was a pleasant and enjoyable way of getting rid of the surplus. It was always felt that “A pretty egg tastes better” and as time went on through the ages eggs began tasting even better when they were made from chocolate.
Color Easter Eggs with Vegetables,
Fruit and Spices!
Today I imagined I lived in the age of Charlemagne and was preparing to give gifts to the Goddess Eastre to obtain from her some special favors……I will not tell you my secret wish, but will tell you how I will entice this beautiful goddess to look upon me favorably. I will beguile her with a gift that she would love most……..a basket of colored eggs.
Several days ago I stated to collect onion skins, and red cabbage leaves. However, as I pretend to live in another era, yet live in the 21st century, I went to the freezer and found frozen blueberries, and in the pantry Instant coffee and Turmeric which give nice colors to the eggs. A bottle of Burgundy that went slightly bad in my non-refrigerated pantry, heavens… it was not stored in the wine cellar……..will give me a nice deep brown color.
Oh, yes, I also found packets of Raspberry Herbal Tea……and wonder what that color would be? It was a deep, pretty gray that reminded me of a dove.
First step is to boil the WHITE eggs……..you have to use white eggs only……
Wash them in some sudsy, warm water to get any oils off that may have stayed on them before they were packed into the cardboard egg carton……..and rinse them well with cool water.
I like to poke a little hole – with an egg poker – to ensure that they do not break while cooking. One can get that little gadget either in the grocery stores on the gadget wall or any kitchen store.
Proceed with your favorite method of cooking hard boiled eggs.
When cooked placed them into iced water to give them a quick cooling which helps with removing the shells more easily. This you can do a day ahead and refrigerate the eggs……..
To make the dyes………..
Note……use only stainless steel pots….enamel or china will be discolored with these dyes…..one can use glass containers/bowls or glass coffee cups……..
Yellow eggs with Turmeric
Add 2 cups of water into a 1 quart stainless steel pot…
Add 4 heaping Tbsp of Turmeric, mix and stir until all powder is mixed into the water
Add 1 tsp of vinegar
Bring this mixture to a boil and add your eggs, remove from heat and let the eggs be submerged for about 1 hour or longer. The longer you keep the eggs in this dye the deeper the yellow color will be….
Rinse the eggs with cold water to remove any spice particles.
Pale blue to deep blue and purple eggs with Blueberries…..
Add 2 cups of frozen blueberries into a 2 quart pot
Add 3/4 cup of water
Add 1 tsp vinegar
Bring mixture to a boil and cook the berries until they start popping, while mixing frequently
Mash them with a potato masher to make a thick sauce like consistency. If it seems too thick add a little more water
When the berries are cooked, strain them into a glass coffee cup, it will submerge one egg .
For a pale blue color – leave the egg in the juice for about 20 minutes. For a darker blue color leave it in the juice for about an hour…or longer.
Rinse the egg from any residue of the juice in cold water
Brown eggs with Instant Coffee…….
Use a glass cup and add about 4 heaping Tbsp of instant coffee, and pour hot water into the cup. Mix well.
Add the egg and let it sit in the coffee for about an hour or longer
Rinse the egg briefly and let it dry
Red Cabbage leaves for Robin’s Blue eggs….
Place about 2 cups of chopped red cabbage leaves into a stainless steel 2 quart pot add water to cover the leaves.
Bring them to boil and simmer for about 30 minutes or longer, until the cabbage is pink in color and has released just about all the color. Strain the liquid into a glass bowl or cup and place the egg into the dye….let it be immersed for about an hour……or longer. Check periodically for the color intensity….if you like a light blue color on the egg take it out earlier if you like the blue color be darker……keep it in the dye longer…..it is your choice.
Onion Skins for a nice pinkish/brown color…….
You will need about a cup of packed onion skins to make a deep enough dye to color your eggs…….
Place 1 cup of packed onion skins into a stainless steel 1 quart pot and add enough water to cover the skins.
Bring them to a boil and let them simmer for about 30 minutes or longer….making sure that the water does not totally evaporate……..if the water level reduces add more water to cover the onion skins.
When the color of the dye is a deep brown strain it into a glass cup, and add the hard boiled egg
Keep the egg in that dye for about an hour or more…….the longer you keep it submerged the darker the color will be. I like them lighter in color…..with less time they come out almost a pinkish brown color.
A drop of olive oil in your palm……….
When all the eggs are dyed and dried………place a little oil into the palm of your hand and rub it into your hands
Now pick up every colored egg and oil them to make them shine……….
You need just a small drop of oil……do not make them too greasy.
Here is my basket of colored eggs for the Goddess Eastre………who will hopefully bestow favors upon me and grant my secret wish!
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Thank you!
Maria, Thanks for such helpful information. I’m not sure I will be dying eggs this year, but I will definitely keep this information on hand.
Maria,
I loved reading this. I remember using onion skins to dye eggs with my grandmother, but she would wrap each egg in the onion skins, then wrap a piece of cheesecloth around it and tie it with string, then she would boil the onion covered eggs. When she removed the skins the eggs were a beautiful brown color and had the veining of the onion skins on them. She would put a touch of oil on them and display them on her table. They were just beautiful.
Thanks for the memory!
Our garden club works with the children of St. Vincent’s. Last year our visit coincided with Easter and we dyed eggs with the children using natural dyes like these. Wish that I had known the effects of the red cabbage. What a pretty color it made! We did use all of the other methods that you described. Not only did they have fun, they were able to see another use for products that come from plants. Most of them had never used natural dyes before, only the color tabs but were amazed at what could be done using things normally found in the kitchen. I hope that parents and teachers reading your post take the time to do this simple project that teaches so many lessons on so many levels…and it’s a lot of fun besides!
Hi Patty………..what a wonderful comment……….thank you!
Yes, I hope my readers will take the time and try some of these natural colors that can be obtained right in one’s kitchen. I really had fun…….remembering what my mother told me about her mother coloring eggs when she was a child.
Thank you again for your great comment…
Hugs……….
Jeanne Prenger Cox…..via FB
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Hi Maria, Those eggs are absolutely exquisite!
How in the world did you get that beautiful blue color.
I’d love your recipe for all the colors if it’s not too much trouble.
Thanks
Marusja Harasymiw……via FB
As always my dearest Maria..you have delighted with a stunning array bringing pleasure to us all…you are reminding me of childhood when we performed innocent and rewarding seasonal tasks such as the painting of eggs at Easter time. This timeless art is a welcome reminder and your photos exemplify the graceful way in which you depict all that you do ♥
Irina Lindner ……….via FB
……….einfach nur schöööön!
Sylvia Roberts…………..via FB
BEAUTIFUL
Laura E. Williams………via FB
Thank you for posting this…I was hoping to find natural dyes for coloring the eggs this year. Perfect : )
Maria ~ This is brilliant! I wonder if I love the legend or the coloring tips better?! Thank you so much!
Diane…….thank you for your inspiring comment………..
BTW……I love your website and the idea about sport being tied together with athletes and food……..great idea – you are unique!!!!
Your eggs are just beautiful, Maria. I have dyed eggs in onion skins before, both the yellow and red ones. And once I used purple iris petals, which was a big mistake as iris are toxic! Your dye recipes are very clever and I love it that you’ve posted about Eastre!
Hi Christine…….so nice to find you among my friends who leave me comments………and thank you for your nice words about my Easter Eggs post………It was great fun using my kitchen as a laboratory……having all the pots and cups around with vegetables and fruit that released various colors where I had eggs taking a bath……while absorbing the little shades which they will be dressed in for Easter………
Cynthia Glover………..via FB
Beautiful, Maria!
What made the blue color? Red cabbage as in the photo?
Maria Speck ………..via FB
Maria ~ So beautiful I have done this too because I love the more subdued colors it creates.
What beauties!
Michael Anthony Leonetti…..via FB
Bella ~ Bella! Ms. Maria! What a wonderful and colorful sight to see!
Grazie my friend that is so creative! *~♥~*
Just want to tell you your Easter eggs are brilliant. Your write-up was terrific too. Well done Maja.
Linda………
thank you for your nice comment….hugs to you!
It was great chatting with you on chat!!!!!
BEAUTIFUL! thanks so much for the inspiration and sharing your wonderful story. Best VA
Nice pics! I usually rub them first with a bit of vinegar to slightly dissolve the shell, then boil them for 10-12 minutes in the colouring, cool them and put them back into the liquid for some more time. Saves some time. And some more hints for colors:
* Red: Beetroot juice, Red Onion Skins
* Beige: Brown Onion Skins or Tea
* Green: Spinach, Grass, Parsley
* Blue: Leaves of red cabbage, Blueberry, Elderberry
* Pink: Cowberry or Cranberry juice
* Brown: Strong Black Tea, Walnut shells, Coffee
* Yellow: Caraway, Safran, Chamomile, Turmeric
Finally, attach some leaves or herbs with a stocking while colouring them for some nice patterns.
Hajo………thank you for your very nice comment and great suggestions for more natural coloring ways…………
I will certainly try them all.
I especially like the idea about rubbing the egg with vinegar to soften the egg shell……so that it absorbs more of the dye…..
You are so very nice to help me in my research of coloring the eggs in a “natural” way………..
Hello Maria,
Your Easter eggs look like “jewels” and I just loved the story you told with them. I am so excited to try it this way…..Thank you so much!
Kindest Regards,
Laury
Laury……thank you for your nice comment…..
….and calling my Easter eggs “jewels” is a great big compliment for them……..thank you…
hugs to you………..
Sue Greco Segade……..via FB
I did this many years ago when my children were little. I think I’ll do it again for my grandchildren this year. Thank you for sharing the beauty of these natural eggs.
Maria, I’ve got to try at least some of these for our family at Easter. Thanks for the information and the history!
Linda T
Irene Black………..via E-mail!
Hi Maria, eben las ich deinen so interessanten blog, er ist nun in meiner “File”. Deine Ideen sind wunderbar. Wir haben als Kinder auch mit natuerlichen Mitteln Eier gefaerbt. Benutzten Kleeblaetter, Graeser, soweit der Freuhling sie schon geschickt hatte.
Eine nette Erinnerung. 1946, wie wir noch so wenig zu essen hatten und es kaum Eier gab, stibitzte ich eins von der Speisekammer, bemalte es und gab es einem jungen Mann, den ich sehr gern mochte, aber noch nicht gut kannte. Wie ichs ihm gab sagte er: “Wissen Sie was es bedeutet, wenn eine junge Frau einem Mann ein Ei schenkt?” Ich wusste es nicht. Er erklaerte mir, dass Eier fuer Fruchtbarkeit stuenden und das sehr gefaehrlich sei. Ich war zerknirscht, denn das wollte ich keineswegs andeuten. Aus der Freundschaft wurde dann, leider, nichts.
Ostern in dem kleinen Bauerndorf meiner Kindheit war immer sehr festlich. Karfreitag laeuteten die Glocken nicht. Die Ministranten drehten die Ratschen, Dinger aus Holz, die einen Laerm machten. In der Kirche war ein herrlcihes heiliges Grab aufgebaut , von den Nonnen des heimischen Klosters. Man ging, betete und kuesste das Kreuz am Boden liegend. Der Tag war immer sehr ruhig. Niemand durfte LAerm machen. Wir Kinder bauten am Haus Osternester aus Moos und schauten mindestens dreimal ob der Osterhase schon was rein gelegt hatte. Die Eltern waren aber streng und vor Ostersamstag am Abend, nach der Auferstehungsfeier in der Kirche gabs nichts. Aber dann waren die Nester voll mit den herrrlichsten Leckereien, die es hier nicht gibt. Mit meinen Kindern feierte ich aehnlich. Jetzt ist es sehr still um mich geworden. Werde am Ostersonntag zu einem brunch gehen wo Don lebt; nicht gerade sehr anregend. Er ist geistig kaum noch da.
Noch ist es ein bissl frueh, aber trotzdem will ich Dir, Euch, ein recht frohes und schoenes Osterfest wuenschen. Allerherzlichst, Irene
Stephanie Kimmons………………via FB
It is so special that you greeted Easter with the same enthusiasm as Christmas What a wonderful visual . . .
maria this is so so beautiful…..it’s just that we are not allowed to touch eggs….but surely its a treat to watch n suggest other friends…..