My DIY Easter Project

How I loved to dye eggs with onion peels for Easter when I was a child. We used to paint patterns on the dyed eggs with the help of tooth picks and diluted formic acid, closely watched by our mother as not to harm ourselves.

My finished eggs never looked too good, I liberally sloshed formic acid around and my eggs had elephant prints on them.

I meant to resurrect those childhood feelings this year (with a different and easier technique) and I bought a dozen organic eggs in cardboard boxes.

I forgot to check the eggs’ colour in the shop and – lo behold – they were all brown eggs:

 

Counting my brown eggs

My Time Management Sucks

I was so disappointed that I struggled for days whether to go ahead with my DIY egg project or just postpone it to next year.

But as the weather was not too good on Sunday I decided to forge ahead. Plan B was already in my head: I could always use the boiled eggs for salads and decoration (and the pictures for a blog post ahead of time next year).

Do I have everything:
Eggs (preferably white shells): check
Onion peels: check
Odd socks: check
Fresh leaves: ?

Where Is Spring – Where Are The Fresh Leaves?

No fresh leaves to be found outside, although we have had a very mild winter, spring is long in coming.

Normally I use corydalis as they make the loveliest patterns with their finely structured leaves. But they are still in hiding.

Do I have an alternative? Yes: I had some flat leaved parsley in the fridge and coriander in a pot on the window sill that survived all winter.

 

Herbs coming to the rescue

The Process of My DIY Easter Project

I put the onion peels in a big pot filled with water and a dash of vinegar (my mother always did this, she was convinced it prevented the egg shells from cracking), brought it to a boil and proceeded to the next step.

I soaked the tiny herb sprigs in water and draped them around an egg. Tightly wrap a sock around the egg and tie it off with a knot.

Tip: two eggs will fit into one knee sock (in case you do not have enough spare socks, I have a lot as they always get lost in the washing machine).

 

Will it work or not?

Let the brew cool down (if the colour is not right, i.e. too light, you can always throw in some tea leaves), add the “dressed” eggs, put the heat on and once it is boiling, leave the eggs in for 8 minutes.

 

work in progress

 

Drain the water, discard the peels (they go to my compost) and cool the eggs in cold water.

Carefully remove the socks and herbs and admire your chef d’oeuvre:

 

Hurray – it worked!

 

I was really pleased with the result, the reddish brown die looks great against the soft brown background. The eggs have that special lustre in the pictures because they are still wet, you can achieve the same result by rubbing some grease on them.

 

My Timing Is Off … So Not

It is Easter Sunday and I have a dozen Easter eggs sitting in a bowl on my table!

99 things you can do with boiled eggs:

salad mimosa: lamb’s lettuce with bacon and chopped boiled egg with a vinegar salad dressing

quick lunch with a boiled egg, anchovies, chives and some lemon juice

egg salad: chop the boiled eggs and add a vinegar and mayo dressing, sprinkle some fresh herbs on top

This will take care of the rest of your eggs so the 96 other things will follow next year!

 

so proud of my coriander leaf egg!