# Naturally Dyed Eggs for Sham El-Nessim

> Eggs colour naturally by boiling onion skins (brown-orange), beetroot (pink), turmeric (yellow) and red cabbage (blue). The one requirement is a spoon of vinegar in each dye bath so the colour fixes to the shell.

**Egyptian Cuisine · 45 min · 12 servings · 78 kcal per serving**

Colouring eggs is one of the best-loved Sham El-Nessim rituals for children, but artificial dyes worry a lot of parents. The natural colours are already in any kitchen, the results are soft and beautiful — and there's a small science lesson in it for the children too.

## Ingredients


### Base
- 12 حبة — white-shelled eggs
- 4 tbsp — white vinegar (one per colour)

### Brown-orange
- 2 cups — red onion skins

### Pink
- 1 حبة — beetroot, grated

### Yellow
- 2 tbsp — turmeric

### Blue
- 2 cups — chopped red cabbage

## Method

1. **Boil the eggs** — Boil the eggs for ten minutes from the point they come to the boil, then drop them into iced water. Let them cool and dry them.
2. **Make the dyes** — For each colour: put the ingredient in a small pan with two cups of water, boil for 20 minutes, strain, and add a spoon of vinegar. Let the liquid cool.
3. **Dip** — Put the boiled eggs into the dye. The longer they sit, the deeper the colour: 30 minutes for a pale shade, a whole night in the fridge for a strong one.
4. **Polish** — Lift the eggs out, dry them, and wipe them with a little olive oil on a cloth — they come up glossy and look far better.

## Tips

- The vinegar isn't optional — without it the colour won't hold on the shell.
- White-shelled eggs give much clearer colours than brown ones.
- For patterns: wrap a rubber band or a parsley leaf against the egg in muslin before dipping — you'll get a white shape where it sat.
- Red cabbage produces blue (not red) because the pigment reacts with the alkaline shell — a nice bit of science for the children.

## FAQ

### Are naturally dyed eggs safe to eat?
Completely — every ingredient is food, and the shell protects the egg itself. It's safer than artificial dyes.

### How long does the colour last?
The colour is fixed on the shell, and boiled eggs keep a week in the fridge.

### Why did my colour come out pale?
Either not enough time or not enough vinegar. Leave the eggs in the dye overnight in the fridge for a stronger colour.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/egyptian-cuisine/naturally-dyed-eggs-sham-el-nessim
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-14