Eye on Extension: Have a fun and safe Easter egg hunt

VALLEY — Eggs have been used to celebrate spring for centuries. Symbolic Easter rabbits and colored eggs came to America with German settlers, and egg hunts have been beloved by children ever since. Easter egg hunts can be fun and safe for all if a few simple guidelines are followed:

Inspect eggs before purchasing them, making sure that they are not dirty or cracked.  Dangerous bacteria may enter a cracked egg.

Store eggs in their original carton in the refrigerator and use them within three weeks. Eggs are a potentially hazardous food in the same category as meat, poultry, fish, and milk. In other words, they are capable of the rapid growth of disease-causing bacteria like Salmonella.  

For best results with hard-cooked eggs, buy eggs one week in advance and refrigerate them. Eggs can be “too fresh” to peel easily. The fresher the egg, the more difficult it is to peel after hard cooking. That’s because the air cell, found at the large end of the egg between the shell membranes, increases in size the longer the raw egg is stored. As the contents of the egg contract and the air cell enlarges, the shell becomes easier to peel. For this reason, older eggs make better candidates for hard boiling.

Follow these directions for perfect hard-boiled eggs:

  • Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; add enough tap water to cover at least 1 inch above eggs.
  • Bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer (barely boiling) and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Drain eggs and immediately run cold water over eggs or place them in ice water until completely cooled.
  • Refrigerate eggs until you are ready to dye them.

For safe dyeing of eggs, follow these directions:

  • Eggs should reach room temperature or below prior to dyeing.
  • Do not handle eggs excessively, and wash your hands thoroughly when you handle them.
  • Do not color eggs whose shells crack during cooking. (Bacteria can enter an egg with a cracked shell.)
  • Use food coloring or food-grade dyes if they will be eaten.
  • Refrigerate eggs after coloring until they are to be hidden.

Care should be used in choosing hiding places for Easter eggs. Avoid areas where eggs may come in contact with pets, wild animals, insects or lawn chemicals. The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should not exceed two hours. The found eggs must be re-refrigerated. If the Easter egg hunt will take longer than two hours, hide plastic eggs. Hard-boiled eggs should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and used within a week. Do not eat eggs with cracked shells or eggs that have been out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.

For more information contact Mary Ellen Fleming at 852-7381, or visit the CSU Extension Office for the San Luis Valley Area at 1899 E. Hwy 160 in Monte Vista. Please feel free to visit our website at: http://sanluisvalley.colostate.edu for information about services provided.

Extension programs are available to all without discrimination, Colorado State University Extension, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Colorado Counties cooperating.

Mary Ellen Fleming is the Area Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences in the San Luis Valley.