Happy Easter! An annual tradition for many families is an Easter egg hunt. But I take eggs-tra care if using real eggs. Read on for seven rules to follow for a safe hunt.
• Keep all eggs, raw and cooked, refrigerated. Discard dirty or cracked eggs.
• Store eggs in the main compartment of the refrigerator, not the door.
• Hard cook eggs in a single layer of a saucepan. Add water to cover the eggs at least one inch. Cover and bring to a boil; then remove from heat. Let stand about 20 minutes. Chill in cold water until cool enough to handle. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Have fun coloring the eggs! Use food grade dyes, liquid food coloring or fruit drink powders along with fun designs.
• Wait to hide the eggs until two hours before the big hunt. Once the eggs are gathered, check again for any cracked eggs. Put eggs back in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
• Hard boiled eggs in the shell should be used within one week.
• Consider hiding plastic eggs this year to cut the risk of food safety issues with real eggs.
Did you know the week after Easter is egg salad week? You can find some great recipes at: www.incredibleegg.org
Here is a Classic Egg salad recipe from that web site.
6 hardboiled eggs, sliced
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon minced onion
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup finely chopped celery
Lettuce leaves
Step 1 – Reserve 4 center egg slices for garnish, if desired. Chop remaining eggs.
Step 2 – Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, salt and pepper in medium bowl. Add chopped eggs and celery; mix well. Refrigerate, covered, to blend flavors.
Step 3 – Serve on lettuce leaves, garnish with reserved egg slices.
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research & Extension – Barton County. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu