Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

A bowl filled with red-brown dyed eggs featuring intricate leaf patterns, surrounded by fresh green sprouts. The eggs are arranged on a wooden surface, creating a natural, artistic presentation.

5 from 5 votes

OH you better grab Granny’s pantyhose 👵🧦 and buckle up, cause we’re about to dye some Easter eggs the old-school, Slavic way — and yes, pantyhose are the ✨secret weapon✨

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: Tutorials and Hacks

Cuisine: Balkan

Keyword: air fryer eggs, diy easter eggs, easter appetizer, easter eggs, naturally dyed eggs

Servings: eggs

Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

12 eggs
12 leaves (any of choice) parsley, mint, basil, etc.
1 pair nude panty hose
onion peels enough to fill up the pot
8 cups water
¼ cup white vinegar
touch of oil for the end to make them shiny

Instructions

Take a pair of nylon panty hose (stockings) and cut them into pieces starting from the foot of the panty hose.
For me, each piece turns out to be 5-6 inches in length and 4 inches in width.
Next, start on the foliage. You can use any small leaves of choice from outside or the grocery store. I like to make it fun by including herbs (or flowers) that are different. You can use: parsley, basil, mint, flowers, cilantro, or anything else you like.
Pick off each leaf and soak them in warm water. The warm water will soften it up and help stick to the egg.
Next, take an egg and place the leaf right in the middle on the clean side of the egg, which is the side that’s not stamped.
Take a square of the stocking and place the egg gently on the inside between the two sides.
Tightly wrap the egg in the stocking making sure to twist at the base and tie it the same way you would tie a balloon.
If you’re unsure, have someone assist you or look at the step-by-step photos in the prep section of this post.
Repeat this step for each egg.
Next, fill a pot with 1/2 of the onion peels and place the wrapped eggs in the pot with the herb side down.
Add half of the water, the vinegar, followed by the rest of the onion peels and the other half of the water.
Let this come up to a simmer and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Don’t let it boil vigorously as the eggs can crack.
After 15-20 minutes, take it off the heat and let it sit for a minimum of 8 hours (or overnight). When the water has cooled, you can store them in the fridge.
Note: the more onion peels you use and the longer you let it sit, the deeper the color will be.
When the eight hours is up, cut the string, remove the herb, and set on paper towel to dry.
Once the eggs are dry, cover each one in some oil which will make them nice and shiny!

Video

Notes

Traditions: In Bulgarian Easter tradition, an egg-cracking game called "egg tapping" or "egg fighting" is a key part of our celebration. The object of the game? Try to crack your opponent's egg without breaking your own. The winner is believed to have good luck for the year!
Onions: You can use yellow or red onions for this recipe. Some cultures even use other produce such as red cabbage so feel free to experiment. We peeled 20 onions to fill up the pot, I like to collect mine as I cook and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
Foliage: Feel free to go outside and have FUN looking for different leaves 🍃or flowers. You can use any herb of choice at the grocery store as well.
Pantyhose: Use any nylon pantyhose you have on hand. I like nude as the colour won't leak and I can see the placement of my leaf.

Nutrition