Are you one to eagerly look forward to the egg-cracking “battle” at the Easter Sunday table? As you well know, Easter eggs are an essential part of Greek Easter, dyed on Holy Thursday so they’re ready to “enter the battle” on Easter Sunday.

Translation | Amaryllis Tsegou

Though traditionally dyed red, nowadays many people create multicoloured eggs, bringing even more colour to the table.

This year, you might want to try something different and dye your eggs naturally. How? By using ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices to create beautiful, unexpected shades.

Basic tips

• Choose white eggs so the colours show more vividly.
• The eggs should already be boiled and at room temperature.
• Before placing them in the dye, wipe them clean to remove any grease.
• Add vinegar- it helps the colour set better.
• The longer the eggs stay in the dye, the more intense the colour. For best results, leave them to soak overnight.

Natural ingredients you can use

A wide range of natural ingredients can be used to colour Easter eggs. The most commonly know one is onion skins or beetroot for traditional red tones. But you can also use spinach for green, turmeric for yellow, red cabbage (surprisingly!) for blue, carrots for orange, even coffee beans or ground coffee for brown.

What you’ll need

• natural colouring ingredients
• water
• about 1 tbsp vinegar per dye (depending on the method)
• boiled white eggs
• olive oil (for finishing)

Red eggs with onion skins

Ingredients

• white boiled eggs (at room temperature)
• skins from 7-8 red onions
• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• olive oil (for polishing)

Method

1. Place the onion skins and water in a pot and boil for 30-40 minutes. Strain and let the liquid cool.
2. Add the vinegar and whisk to combine.
3. Place the eggs in the dye and leave them to soak overnight in the fridge.
4. Remove from the fridge, dry them and rub lightly with olive oil to give them a shine.

Note: The colour will not be as bright red as with commercial dyes, but a beautiful brick-red shade.

Red eggs with beetroot

Ingredients

• white boiled eggs (at room temperature)
• 2 large beets (raw or cooked), cut into pieces
• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• olive oil

Method

1. Boil the beetroot in the water for 30 minutes. Strain and keep the coloured liquid.
2. Let it cool, then add the vinegar.
3. Add the eggs and leave them to soak overnight.
4. Remove, dry, and polish with a little olive oil.

Note: For a deeper colour, you can repeat the process once or twice more.

Yellow Eggs with Turmeric

Ingredients

• 8-10 white boiled eggs (at room temperature)
• 3-4 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 L water
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• olive oil (for polishing)

Method


1. In a pot, combine the water, turmeric and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the colour develops.
2. Add the eggs to the turmeric liquid and leave them for 30 minutes up to overnight, depending on how intense you want the colour.
3. Remove, dry and polish with a little olive oil.

Green eggs with spinach

Ingredients

• 8-10 white boiled eggs (at room temperature)
• 2-3 cups spinach (frozen works just as well)
• 1 L water
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• olive oil (for polishing)

Method


1. Place the spinach and water in a pot and boil for 30-40 minutes.
2. Strain the liquid and keep it - this will be your dye.
3. Add the vinegar once the liquid has been removed from the heat.
4. Place the eggs into the spinach dye and let them soak for at least 2-3 hours, ideally overnight.
5. Remove, dry with paper towels and polish with olive oil, similarly to the other natural dyes.

Blue eggs with red cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 cup red cabbage, chopped
• 4-6 cups water
• 2-3 tbsp white vinegar
• about 10 white boiled eggs (at room temperature)
• olive oil (for polishing)

Method


1. Slice the cabbage into thin strips and place it in a pot with enough water to cover it (about 4–6 cups).
2. Boil for 30-45 minutes, until the water turns a deep purple-blue.
3. Strain the liquid and let it cool completely.
4. Add the vinegar, then place the boiled eggs into the dye.
5. Let them soak for several hours, ideally overnight in the fridge.
6. Remove, dry with paper towels and polish with oil.

Note: Surprisingly red cabbage will actually result in beautiful robin-like blue eggs!

Brown eggs with coffee

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups brewed coffee (filter, espresso, or instant)
• 1-2 tbsp vinegar
• white boiled eggs (at room temperature)
• olive oil (for polishing)

Method


1. Prepare the coffee - the stronger it is, the deeper the colour.
2. Let it cool to room temperature, then add the vinegar and stir.
3. Immerse the boiled eggs in the coffee.
4. Leave them for several hours, or overnight in the fridge for a deeper shade.
5. Remove, dry with paper towels and polish with olive oil.

Note: The colour may not be a deep brown - it can range from beige to copper, but will always have a warm, earthy tone.

How to create patterns

If you’d like to get creative, you can decorate your eggs with simple natural patterns:

1. Lightly wet the item you want to use for the design (such as a parsley leaf, small flower, or onion skins) so it sticks to the egg.
2. Place it on the egg in the desired position.
3. Wrap the egg in a piece of tulle or fine mesh and secure it with an elastic band. This allows the dye to pass through while keeping the design area covered.
4. Place the prepared eggs into your chosen natural dye and follow the dyeing method.