I bet when you were little, you ordered off the kid’s menu? Not me. I wasn’t allowed to order hot dogs or mac and cheese like every other kid. My dad would order a NY strip or baby beef liver for me. I know, FWP (first world pain). Did you dye your Easter eggs light blue, pink and yellow? Yeah, not me. Look!
Onion Skins, Eggs and Easter…One of these things just doesn’t belong here…
Can you believe I have never dyed Easter eggs any other color than red? While most kids play around with PAAS egg dye, I was busy in the kitchen with my mom, dying our Easter eggs red…using onion skins. Yes! It’s true. You see, I’m Greek, and that’s what we do.
The egg is the quintessential symbol of Easter, springtime and new life. Greeks color their Easter eggs red, which symbolizes the blood that Christ shed on the Cross for us. The egg is also symbolic of the tomb of Christ, once cracked open with a hearty “Christos Anesti” in the annual egg cracking contest, also symbolizing the opening of the tomb, the Resurrection and new life. Or just bragging rights to the “hardest egg to crack” title.
Greek culture is full of meaning and symbolism around the holidays. So how do you get more meaning and symbolism into your Easter? Here’s how:
How to dye your eggs red for Pascha
1 dozen eggs
the papery skins from 10-12 really large brown onions
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5 cups of water
Start by peeling the brown papery skins of the onions. This is a really good time to decide to make french onion soup. Place the onions skins in a pot and cover with 5 cups of water. Add the vinegar and bring the whole thing to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Carefully strain the dye from the onion skins. Let the dye cool off.
When you are ready to color your eggs, place them in a taller narrow pot in a single layer as best you can and cover them with the dye. Bring to a boil. Again, turn heat down and simmer. It should only take about 10-12 minutes for the eggs to start to turn color. Simmer no more than 20 minutes, but things should be looking how you like in under 15 minutes. Remove eggs, dry and shine up with some olive oil.
Xristos Anesti!
-Kallie
