Celebrating Easter in Orthodox Traditions
I love sharing customs and traditions. Today I would like to introduce you to a traditional recipe that will help you prepare for Orthodox Easter. It turns out to be a true art-and-crafting process coloring eggs in Russian tradition. You would be surprised, but yes, we do dye eggs in onion shells…and the results will amaze you! The skins of different onions produce natural colors that vary from light tab to richer brown.
You will need:
Equipment
3-quart saucepan
2-quart measuring cup or mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Slotted spoon
Paper towel
Ingredients
Onion skins from about 12 onions
4 cups water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
Olive oil
12 large hard-boiled eggs
Instructions
Boil onion skins: In a medium (3-quart) stainless steel saucepan, combine the onion skins, water, and vinegar. Use a spoon to stir all the onion skins into the water. Bring up to a boil.
Simmer: Turn heat down to low and simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes.
Strain: Strain the mixture into a non-reactive measuring cup or bowl, and allow to cool. It doesn’t have to be cold, just below 160ºF or so, so you don’t keep cooking the eggs.
Transfer eggs: Use a slotted spoon to gently transfer the eggs to the measuring cup. Nudge them into place so the liquid is covering all of the eggs, topping off with a little bit of water if necessary.
Soak the eggs: Let the eggs soak in the dye for at least 30 minutes, or up to one hour. The longer they soak, the darker they will be.
Remove and dry: Remove the eggs from the dye with the slotted spoon and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Polish with olive oil: When the eggs are dry and cool enough to handle, use a few drops of olive oil and a paper towel to polish them up. Keep the eggs refrigerated until ready to eat, up to one week.
