Using Natural Colors for Easter Eggs
When we were spending our first Eastern in Japan, I realised that I would have to get creative about it. Even though Christianity is not unknown or uncommon here, most Japanese do not celebrate Eastern. Therefore, it is kind of impossible to get decorations, themed chocolates, or dye for eggs in the store.
Since I didn’t want to give up on a traditional styrian “Osterjause”, and having dyed Easter eggs prepared for it is an integral part of it (at least to me), I started to look into alternative ways to dye my eggs in a safe to eat way. That the methods I have found are environmentally friendly are a nice bonus as well.
While the colors are not the most spectacular, using onion peels is the most reliable method I have found. Adding some decorations also creates nice effects.
For this method (for 2-4 eggs):
Put 1.5L of water into a pot. Add 2 table spoons of vinegar and as many onion peels as you have. I usually start collecting them a few month to half a year in advance.
This year I went with red onion peels, but I think I actually prefer the yellow ones.
Then just stuff the peels into the water and bring it to a boil. You might want to have it cook like this for a few minutes to already get some of the peels color out into the water before putting the eggs in.
For decoration I like to just tie a piece of yarn around the eggs before cooking them in the color.
When the eggs have carefully been placed in the pot, let them cook on medium heat for about 11 minutes.
Take them out and let them dry.
A good alternative for this method is to use 2 table spoons of caraway seeds instead of the onion peels. This will make nice light yellow eggs.
I have also tried using spinach for green color, but so far I haven’t found a way to make the color stick to the eggs, but not the muddy spinach leaves…
Another method I use to color eggs blue. It also works with some other colors.
For this method, again, put 1.5L of water and 2 table spoons of vinegar into a pot and bring it to boil. Cook the eggs for 11 minutes, decorations are again optional.
While the eggs are cooking prepare a bowl filled with juice.
For blue, use grape or blueberry juice.
For orange carrot juice works well.
For red beet juice is supposed to work, but I haven’t tried it so far since red beets are hard to get here.
After cooking just transfer the eggs straight into the bowl of juice and leave them in there for 2-3 hours.
When the eggs have cooked, soaked, and dried, remove the yarn if you used any.
Your eggs are ready for eastern.
Since this year we went hiking on Easter Sunday I only chose two colors. A better example might be this picture from 2018, which shows a full styrian Osterjause, prepared the best way possible when living in Japan.
Happy Eastern everyone!