Blue Easter eggs

This is the second year in a row when I made these beautiful blue Easter eggs. While traditionally in Latvia we start saving onion peels after New Year’s and then use those for coloring. You can also buy them in stores and the market but most homes will have a little bag dedicated to the outer layers of the peels for egg coloring. While I think many traditions and our foods are beautiful, there comes a moment when you get sick of brown stuff. Most brown foods are super delicious and the brown bits are the best part, but in the middle of all that, it is nice to have a pop of color. It kind of matches the first butterfly of the spring which I saw – it was yellow. To keep up with this bright and light mood, I made these blue easter eggs that looked beautiful on the table.

What gives these eggs their beautiful color is the mighty red cabbage. In some places referred to as purple cabbage and sometimes even blue cabbage. Anyone who has worked with red cabbage knows that it will color everything in its way. Your fingers, the cutting board, countertops, knife, towels, and, god-forbid, the white shirt you were wearing. Once you boil the red cabbage, it becomes absolutely blue. Then, when you add a splash of white vinegar it becomes purple again. And once your eggs are done doing their thing, they are blue. Some kind of magic, right? These blue Easter eggs can be done the easy way, and in a bit more time-consuming way which is still very easy.

What we do here is we use either square pieces of cheesecloth that are tied after the egg and everything else is inserted, or old stockings. Yes, you read that right. Ever since I remember myself and my family coloring Easter eggs, it has always been a place where you use old stockings. And it is not just my family. It is a part of the tradition. Of course, you wash the stockings with soap and water beforehand. You could also use pieces of any old sheet or even a curtain. The plus of the stockings is that it stretches.

Now, the patterns can be done with many ingredients. Mostly they are made with small flowers, herbs, leaves, and such. Also, it is quite common to add barley or oats and rice in the fabric pouch where you are putting your egg because those small grains will stick to the egg and make a barrier against the colored water and that makes those patterns. This year I used some lentils, quinoa, and small sprout leaves. But I have done this using small flowers as well. Just don’t use anything poisonous or toxic and you are good to go. These eggs are naturally dyed and beautiful. There are plenty of other vegetables and pantry ingredients you can use to color your eggs.

There is no one way how to make patterns, I usually just throw some stuff under the egg, add the egg and then put some more on top and tie it closed. The stocking allows you to move the stuff around after you have tied it. And you can kind of see what is going on there. But this is all very random so no two eggs will be the same. These blue Easter eggs are truly one of a kind.