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Egg dyeing with natural materials A Styrian tradition at Easter time

When people run around the house with palm bushes, baskets of culinary delicacies are carried to the consecration of meat and the search for brightly colored eggs begins, it can only mean one thing: Easter time with all its customs and traditions is just around the corner again!

What would Easter be without colorful Easter eggs and egg pecking? This tradition is an integral part of the Easter season and has a practical purpose.

Due to the fasting regulations, eggs were not allowed to be eaten for 6 weeks. To ensure their shelf life, they were boiled and colored differently, for example with onion skins, to distinguish between older and younger eggs.

This year, I dared to try dyeing eggs with natural materials that can often be found in every kitchen or garden. You can find out how it worked in this blog. One thing can be revealed in advance: the word "surprise egg" takes on a whole new meaning here...

Anyone who has ever cut beet or used turmeric will be able to confirm that your fingers absorb a lot of color. Ideal for dyeing Easter eggs, isn't it? Here's how it works:

For red/brown Easter eggs

Onion skins & beet juice

Coloring eggs with onion skins is a well-known and tried-and-tested method:

To do this, place a handful in a saucepan together with the raw eggs, pour hot water over until the eggs are covered and boil for about 20 minutes.

The same works with beet juice. It is best to boil the eggs in advance and then place them in a glass with the juice for 10 minutes. This will give you red/brown colored Easter eggs.

And a little tip to help the color take better - add a dash of vinegar to the water.

For blue/purple colored Easter eggs

Blueberries & red cabbage

Blue and purple tones can also be achieved with natural materials such as blueberries or red cabbage:

You need around 400g of blueberries for 4 dyed eggs, whether fresh or frozen, which you boil with 2 liters of water before adding the raw eggs and boiling everything again for 15 minutes.

If you want to turn each Easter egg into a special work of art, you can decorate it with flowers or leaves before dyeing. And this is how it works:

Collect leaves of your choice, such as daisies, sage or sheep's lettuce, as shown in this photo, place them on the raw egg, stretch a nylon stocking over it and tie it in a knot.

Then dye the eggs according to the instructions.

However, it is not as easy as it sounds. It requires real dexterity and the end result surprises every time.

For bright yellow Easter eggs

Turmeric powder

Turmeric is not only popular as a spice blend, but is also known for its golden yellow color:

To dye your Easter eggs with this plant, first mix 2-3 tablespoons of the powder with 700 ml of water and bring to the boil before adding the raw eggs and boiling for 10 minutes.