This recipe for Dying Eggs With Onion Skins utilizes onion skins, white eggs, plant leaves, and common household items like gauze or pantyhose and twine to create stunningly beautiful Easter eggs.
Use them as charming place holders at your Easter buffet, wrapped with a napkin to look like bunny ears at each place setting.
Why You'll Love Dying Eggs With Onion Skins
Dying Easter eggs is a cherished tradition for families around the world. This year, why not try a natural and eco-friendly method using readily available ingredients?
- Beautiful color: Onion skins produce a gorgeous range of brown and gold hues, perfect for a natural and elegant Easter aesthetic.
- Inexpensive: It's also a budget-friendly option, utilizing items you might already have on hand or usually would have thrown away.
- All Natural: Most importantly, this recipe is all-natural, avoiding the use of harsh chemical dyes that some people prefer to avoid.
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Ingredients Needed
Save your onion skins for a few months in advance. I used all colors, white, yellow, and even my red onion skins. The red ones add more vibrancy to the dyed eggs!
- Onion Skins: Red and yellow onion skins create a spectrum of warm brown and gold tones on the eggs. They are readily available, making this a cost-effective dyeing method.
- White Eggs: White eggs provide a blank canvas for the onion skin dyes to create vibrant and even color.
- Plant Leaves and Flowers: Dried or fresh leaves and flowers can be pressed onto the egg shells to create beautiful imprints and patterns.
- Gauze or Pantyhose: These act as a secure way to hold the onion skins and plant materials onto the eggs during the dyeing process.
- Twine or Rubber Bands: You'll also need some twine, string, or rubber bands to secure the gauze or pantyhose wrappers.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Onion Skin Dyed Eggs
Gather your ingredients: White eggs, red and brown onion skins (enough to cover the bottom of your pot), water, vinegar, plant leaves (optional), twine, and gauze or pantyhose.
Use a piece cheesecloth, pantyhose, or gauze to wrap the eggs with a beautiful leaf held against the egg. You'll have a beautiful white leaf impression when you unwrap the dyed eggs.
You'll need the skins from a 3 lb bag of onions. It's easier to just set aside a produce bag and add the skins to it until it's full. That way you don't have to figure out what to do with 3 lbs of raw onions all at once (unless you're planning to make onion soup)!
Prepare The Eggs
- Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes (10 minutes for Extra Large eggs). Remove the eggs from the pot and let them cool completely.
- Cut a square of gauze or pantyhose and dampen it slightly. If using leaves, dampen them slightly and wrap them around the cooled eggs. Secure them with twine. Place a piece of gauze or pantyhose over the eggs to contain the onion skins.
Prepare The Onion Skins
- In a separate pot, simmer red or yellow onion skins in a large pot of water for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the desired color intensity. A longer simmer time will produce darker colors. Let the liquid cool. I don't strain the onion skins out as they cushion the eggs.
Dye The Eggs
- Submerge the egg bundles in the cooled onion skin dye. The longer they soak, the deeper the color will be. For a light golden color, soak for 10 minutes. For a richer amber, soak for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Remove the eggs from the dye bath and let them cool completely. Unwrap the leaves and gauze (if used) and gently buff the eggs with a paper towel to remove any remaining onion skin particles.
- For a beautiful sheen, rub the eggs lightly with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few variations or substitutions when dying eggs with onion skins.
- Vinegar: Vinegar is optional, but adding a ¼ cup of white vinegar to the dye bath (6 quart soup pot) can help the colors adhere better to the egg shells.
- Brown Eggs: While white eggs provide a brighter canvas, brown eggs can also be used. The resulting colors will be slightly darker and more muted.
- Natural Dyes: Experiment with other natural dyes like beet juice for pink, turmeric for yellow, or blueberry juice for a muted purple.
Tips for Success
Hardened Fat Method: If wrapping the eggs with the dampened leaves pressed tight to the eggs are not giving you the sharp outlined white leaf prints, there is another method also.
Melt some butter or shortening and lightly brush one side of the leaf. Press it on to the leaf, wiping excess fat away, and refrigerate so that the fat hardens. You don't even need to wrap the eggs with this method.
After the leaves are fastened by the hardened fat, gently place them in cold dye bath (so the fat doesn't melt) and steep until they are the shade you like. Remove and let them come to room temperature, where you can then lift the leaves off and buff the eggs with the softened fat with paper towels.
Also these tips are important for perfectly dyed eggs:
- Use fresh white eggs for the most vibrant color results.
- Try to include both red onion skins as well as brown ones, as the red ones add amazing color.
- Ensure the onion skin dye is cool before immersing the eggs, as they are already hard boiled.
- Wear gloves while handling onion skins to avoid staining your hands.
Serving Suggestions
These beautifully dyed eggs are perfect for Easter baskets, centerpieces, or egg hunts. You can also use them for crafting Easter garlands or wreaths. And of course, safe some for Deviled Eggs!
Related Recipes
- Healthy Easter Basket Ideas
- Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread)
- 15 Delicious Easter Brunch Buffet Ideas
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- Air Fryer Roasted Carrots
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when make onion skin dyed Easter eggs.
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- Cheese cloth or old pantyhose
- 6 qt Stainless Steel Dutch Oven
- Butcher and Bakers Twine
Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover dyed eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- You can freeze peeled hard boiled eggs for up to 3 months also.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can reuse the onion skin dye for another batch of eggs. However, the color may be slightly less vibrant with each use.
Dyed eggs will last for about a week when stored properly in the refrigerator.
Yes, as long as the eggs are hard-boiled thoroughly and stored properly, they are safe to eat.
Leftover onion skins can be composted or used to make a natural vegetable broth.
You can use rubber bands to create striped patterns, or apply stickers or leaves before dyeing for unique designs.
Yes, you can use brown eggs, but the final color will be darker and less vibrant than with white eggs.
More Delish Ideas
Dying Eggs With Onion Skins For Easter
Ingredients
- Onion skins from about 3 lbs of onions
- 12 Eggs white
- Water as required
- ¼ cup Vinegar optional
- Herbs or leaves from plants
Instructions
- Peel the skins from several onions, aiming for a generous amount to create a strong dye bath. Wash the skins thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris.Onion skins
- Place your white eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes (10 minutes for Extra Large eggs). Remove the eggs from the pot and let them cool completely.. Let the eggs cool completely before decorating.12 Eggs, Water
- Select a variety of clean and whole leaves from herbs or plants. Wash them gently and pat them dry.Herbs
- Cut a square of gauze or pantyhose and dampen it slightly. Place a damp leaf or combination of leaves on the egg. Carefully wrap the damp gauze or pantyhose around the egg, securing the leaves in place. Repeat with remaining eggs and leaves.
- In a separate pot, combine the onion skins, water, and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the desired color intensity. A longer simmer time will produce darker colors. Cool the dye before adding the hard boiled egg bundles.¼ cup Vinegar
- Submerge the egg bundles in the cooled onion skin dye. The longer they soak, the deeper the color will be. For a light golden color, soak for 10 minutes. For a richer brown, soak for 30 minutes to an hour. A lot depends on how much onion skins you started with.
- Remove the eggs from the dye and carefully unwrap the gauze or pantyhose. Let the eggs dry completely on a wire rack before displaying.
- Oil and shine (optional): For a beautiful sheen, rub the eggs lightly with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil.
Notes
- Use fresh white eggs for the most vibrant color results.
- Try to include red onion skins as well as brown ones.
- Ensure the onion skin dye is has cooled before immersing the eggs (they're already hard boiled).
- Wear gloves while handling onion skins to avoid staining your hands.
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