Onion eggs are a little more tricky than beets but still fairly simple. Peel off the dry, papery skin of the onion (you can ask your grocer if you can grab a bunch of the loose skins that are already peeling off. I normally search through the onions and pick up the stray, large pieces of skin. If you know your grocer or produce supplier well, they might even save these for you, just ask and see what they are willing to do. I typically save the skins from my onions throughout the year, leaving them on the kitchen counter overnight to dry out before putting in an airtight container for storage.) You will also need cheese cloth and twist ties. Cut the cheese cloth into squares that are large enough to wrap around the egg completely with an inch or so extra. Lay one of these squares flat in the palm of your hand and place a large piece of the onion skin in the center. Stand the raw or blown out egg inside of the peel and wrap tightly. If you're onion skin is not large enough you can piece together smaller bits or leave some of the shell exposed. Wrap the cheese cloth tightly around the egg and use a twist tie to secure the end. Now in a large enamel or glass sauce pan fill with 5-8 cups of water and 2-4 tablespoons white vinegar. It's better to place the eggs in the sauce pan before filling it with water. If you are using blown out eggs place a dishtowel below the eggs and one above. The bottom towel will ensure that the eggs won't break and the top one will saturate the eggs and keep them submerged for the most part. If you are going to be hard boiling your eggs just drop and go. Bring to a boil and let roll for 8-12 minutes. Let cool and unwrap. Red onion turns brilliant magenta's and yellow becomes varying shades of gold and mustard. This is a fun and easy way to naturally dye eggs. If you find yourself in a bind or just want a fun new way to dye eggs this is a great, natural way to create stunning eggs.
Ok instead of a picture that is relevant I will share the glorious and gigantic goose eggs I bought from John's Live Poultry in Chicago. These of course have not been cleaned yet but they are still magnificent.
To clean any egg first start with warm soap and water. I fill my sink with suds and scrub each egg with a sponge or acrylic Brillo pad. For tougher stains I like to use baking soda but you can also use vinegar. Vinegar will soften the shell so use sparingly. I'll scrub any soiled egg with a new, cheap tooth brush (I never understand why people demote they're old tooth brushes for cleaning. The bristles are damaged and won't really scrub anything. Just go out and buy a $0.99 toothbrush.) Sprinkle the baking soda over the stain and using a wet brush, gently scrub. Rinse all your eggs well because any residue will cause uneven dying.
No comments:
Post a Comment