Ecological dyeing of Easter Eggs with ... coffee!

Return to traditional, ecological methods.

The custom of painting  eggs for the days of Easter is ancient, as it is found in early Christian communities of Mesopotamia. The eggs symbolize, according to some, the empty tomb of the risen Christ, while according to others, their red color is a reminder of His sacrifice. The tradition has slowly passed throughout Christendom, and remains very popular to this day in Orthodox countries.

Naturally, in the old days people resorted to natural dyes to decorate Easter Eggs, such as onion peels, nuts, spices, etc., but in recent years eggs have been painted mainly with artificial substances. However, in recent years there is a clear "return to the roots" movement, which for aesthetic and ecological reasons prefers to paint Easter eggs with simple, eco-friendly techniques of the past.

In this context, one of the natural dyes used is coffee! Strange as it may sound, coffee can be used as an egg dye, resulting in a beautiful, traditional result.

What do we need to paint our Easter Eggs with coffee?

White Eggs
Vinegar White
Or a cup of ground coffee


How do we prepare Easter Eggs with coffee?

Boil your eggs, tight
Boil twelve cups of water
Add the coffee, vinegar, and stir
Boil on low heat for about twenty minutes
Once the heat is low, carefully add our eggs
Leave the eggs in the solution overnight.


Tips for ecological Easter eggs painted with coffee

It is an autonomy that our painted eggs will not have as bright a color as the ones painted with commercial paints. Their shade will be more pale and earthy.
The more we leave our eggs in the solution, the more intense and dark the color will be. Ideally, we do the process late in the afternoon, to let them absorb color all night.
With the same basic recipe, we can use other natural dyes, such as turmeric for yellow, red cabbage for blue-purple, beetroot for red-pink, etc.
If we want our eggs to have beautiful rafts, we do a very simple trick: with a white wax crayon, we paint on the egg before immersing it in the solution. The paint can not reach these points, and when the eggs are dry, we can wipe it gently and carefully with a cloth.
Of course, we use cheap coffee, and ideally coffee that is old.
Many people try the recipe with instant coffee, but the results are not so strong.
For best results, we can lightly polish our eggs with a cloth dipped in a little oil.
Eggs with white shells do not have any quality difference from eggs with brown shells, but the dye (and especially the vegetable one) "catches" better on them.

No matter how we paint our eggs, it is important to do it with love, and with anticipation for the Holy Days of Easter, keeping in mind our loved ones with whom we will "clink". Happy Easter!