Naturally-Dyed Armenian Easter Eggs

Name: Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 200 min
Ingredients: 1 dozen eggs; 12-15 brown onion skins (or red); ¾ cup red wine vinegar (or plain vinegar); 3 quarts water (more or less); olive oil; cilantro, parsley (or anything else you thing will look pretty)

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Beautiful, naturally-dyed Easter eggs are a traditional part of holiday celebrations in many countries across the globe, including Armenia, Ukraine, Serbia, Russia, and Greece. Make them part of your spring traditions, too!

Six naturally dyed eggs in a basket of cilantro.

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What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
What You Will Need for this Kitchen Craft
How to Make Onion-skin Dyed Eggs
Expert Tips & FAQs
Related Recipes
Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

What's the Story Behind this Recipe?

Many European, Mediterranean, and West-Asian countries share this tradition of making naturally-dyed Easter eggs, including Armenia, Ukraine, Serbia, and Greece.

My closest ties (which is to say my three oldest grandchildren) are half Armenian, so guess who's getting top billing today‽

It is fitting, too, because Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion, doing so in 301 CE. Since that time, Easter has been a beloved and much anticipated holiday for its people.

Armenian Easter now supersedes even Christmas in importance and popularity in Armenia and in the Armenian diaspora. Today it is celebrated with many traditional events, dishes, songs, and greetings.

Three of the most adorable Armenian-Americans ever! (Says their Nana.) 2015 ^^^

What You Will Need for this Kitchen Craft

These beautiful red Easter eggs are very easy to make. The most difficult part of making them is collecting the onion skins.

Eggs: If you want the lacy leaf designs to show up in high contrast, it is best to use white eggs. If you don't want to add a design, brown eggs will work, and even enhance the red dye color.

Onion skins: You will need the skins from at least 12 onions.

If you plan ahead, you can just save your onion skins as you use them. However, the easiest way is to go to your local grocery store and clean out the bottoms of the onion bins. You can also ask your local produce manager to save them for you.

Lacy, interesting leaves: Cilantro, parsley, dill all work well. You need a leaf that is delicate enough to bend, allowing it to form and adhere to the egg.

Nylon stocking: This is used to keep the leaf firmly attached to the egg. You can use old ripped and run stockings.

Twist ties, yarn, or twine: Anything to secure the nylon around the eggs. We find twist ties work best.

Olive oil: This is used for polishing the eggs after they have been dyed.

You will also need a stockpot and a spoon.

How to Make Onion-skin Dyed Eggs

Prepare the Dye Bath

You can do this step a day or two ahead of time if you want.

Fill a medium stock pot with 3 quarts of water. Add the vinegar and stir.

Add the onion skins and push them down into the water. The stockpot should be about two-thirds full.

Over medium heat, bring the onion skin mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow dye to cool.

You don't have to let it cool, but we find that the strength of the dye intensifies if given a chance to rest before proceeding.

Stockpot filled with onion skins and water, with white spoon displaying the dye they made.

Add a Leaf Design

This step is optional. If you just want red eggs, you can skip this.

Use scissors to cut the legs of the nylons into 4-5” tubes. Tie a tight knot at the end of each tube.

Use a little water to adhere a small leaf or flower to an egg.

Carefully insert the egg into the nylon tube and draw the nylon tightly up and around it. Secure the end of the tube with a twist tie, yarn, or twine.

Egg with a cilantro leaf adhered to it, and a second egg with a leaf, tied inside a length of nylon stocking.

Dye the Eggs

We leave the onion skins in the dye and use them to separate and cushion the eggs as they boil.

Put raw eggs into the cool dye. Make sure they are completely submerged.

Bring dye to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat and allow the eggs bathe in the dye for 20 minutes, or until they reach the lovely brick-red color you want.

Remove eggs from dye bath and allow them to cool completely.

Nylon covered egg nested in onion skin and dye in stockpot.

Polish the Dyed Eggs

Remove the nylon tube from each egg. (You can use these again.) Carefully peel off leaves or flowers.

Polish eggs with a little olive oil and a paper towel.

Red dyed egg with cilantro imprint in off-white.

Expert Tips & FAQs

The intensity of the color on onion-skin dyed eggs depends on a number of factors:

The kind of onion skins. We prefer using brown onion skins. We find that red onion skins can muddy the colors, but this is just our experience.
The ratio of water to onion skins. We've given some guidelines about how much of each to use, but you can adjust those amounts to meet your needs. When we do this at home, we tend to use way more onion skins than necessary, because we love those deep, intense brick-reds.
The color of eggs that you use. If you want the lacy leaf designs to show up in high contrast, it is best to use white eggs. If you don't want to add a design, brown eggs will work, and even enhance the red dye color.
How long the eggs stay in the dye. This is why the suggested time for dyeing the eggs is longer than cooking hard-boiled eggs. We like our red eggs to be richly colored.

What do red eggs at Easter symbolize?

The egg itself has long been a symbol of the Resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolizes new life emerging from the eggshell.

In the Orthodox Christian tradition, eggs are painted red to symbolize the blood that Jesus shed on the cross.

The custom of coloring eggs red for Easter has its roots in the biblical lore regarding red eggs and cheorek (sweet bread):

"When Christ was crucified, his mother took some eggs and bread wrapped in the shawl. When the Mother saw her Son crucified and his arms bleeding, she knelt down and cried. The Mother’s tears and Son’s blood dropping on the shawl colored the eggs and bread. Then the Mother put the shawl on her head." (Source:

What countries besides Armenia celebrate Easter with red eggs?

Greece may have the most well known Easter traditions around red eggs. They play a game with them called tsougrisma, which tests the eggs' strength.

The word tsougrisma means "clinking together" or "clashing." (Greek: τσούγκρισμα, pronounced TSOO-grees-mah.) The cracking symbolizes Christ's resurrection from the dead and birth into eternal life.

The red egg tradition is also celebrated in Ukraine, Serbia, and Russia among others.

Can you eat these red eggs?

You can. They will be very hard-cooked, so are best used for chopped salads or egg salad sandwiches.

Six naturally dyed eggs in a basket full of cilantro.

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Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

Beautiful, Naturally-dyed Easter Eggs are a traditional part of the holiday celebration in countries across the globe.

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Course: Kitchen Craft

Cuisine: Armenian, Greek, Russian, Serbian, Ukrainian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time:20 minutes

Cook Time:40 minutes

Dye Cooling Time:2 hours 20 minutes

Total Time:3 hours 20 minutes

Servings: eggs

Calories: 63kcal

Author: Renee

Equipment

1 Medium Stockpot
1 large spoon
1 pair of nylon stockings Rips, runs, and tears are all OK.
twist ties or yarn or twine
paper towels

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

1 dozen eggs
12-15 brown onion skins or red
¾ cup red wine vinegar or plain vinegar
3 quarts water more or less
olive oil
cilantro, parsley or anything else you thing will look pretty

Instructions

Prepare the Dye

This step can be done a day or two ahead of time.
Fill a medium stock pot with 3 quarts of water. Add the vinegar and stir.
Add the onion skins and push them down into the water. The stockpot should be about two-thirds full.
Over medium heat, bring the onion skin mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow dye to cool.

Add a Leaf Design

This step is optional. If you just want red eggs, you can skip this.
Use scissors to cut the legs of the nylons into 4-5” tubes. Tie a tight knot at the end of each tube.
Use a little water to adhere a small leaf or flower to an egg.
Carefully insert the egg into the nylon tube and draw the nylon tightly up and around it.
Secure the end of the tube with a twist tie, yarn, or twine.

Dye the Eggs

Put raw eggs into the cool dye. Make sure they are completely submerged.
Bring dye to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat and allow the eggs bathe in the dye for 20 minutes, or until they reach the lovely brick-red color you want.
Remove eggs from dye bath and allow them to cool completely.

Polish the Eggs

Remove the nylon tube from each egg. (You can use these again.) Carefully peel off leaves or flowers.
Polish eggs with a little olive oil and a paper towel.

Notes

We recommend leaving the onion skins in the dye while the eggs are boiling, using the skins to separate and cushion the eggs as they boil.

Nutrition

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Many thanks to Maria for all her help and encouragement.
Շնորհակալություն, Մարիա, բոլորի համար, ձեր օգնության եւ քաջալերանքի.

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