With Easter just one week away, it is time to share the best food safety practices when handling those ever-popular Easter Eggs. It seems no matter how old we are, there is something special about preparing hard cooked eggs and dying/decorating them for the family Easter Egg hunt. Read on for some great food safety reminders.
After hard cooking eggs, dye them and return them to the refrigerator within two hours. If eggs are to be eaten, use a food-safe coloring. Wash your hands before and after handling eggs.
Hard cooked eggs that have been lying on the ground can pick up bacteria, especially if the shells are cracked. If the shells crack, bacteria could contaminate the inside. Hide eggs in locations protected from dirt, moisture, pets, and other sources of bacteria. Hide and hunt for the eggs within two hours. Toss any of the eggs that have cracked during the Easter Egg hunt. The “found” eggs must be washed, re-refrigerated, and eaten within seven days of cooking.
The two-hour rule that I mentioned above is also the advice I give to anyone who is putting out a spread of food for a family celebration. Popular foods like salads and egg dishes should be kept cold, below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, until ready to serve. Mayonnaise in salads is very acidic and likely not a food-borne illness issue, but it is the other ingredients, such as potatoes, eggs, chicken, or pasta that can allow bacteria to thrive if handled poorly or temperature abused.
Another food safety tip is to read the label to know what type of ham you are purchasing, either fresh or ready-to-eat. Fresh ham labels will detail cooking instructions, and the label may state to cook thoroughly. Ready to eat ham can be served out of the package or reheated at an oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
Whatever you have on your Easter dinner menu, I hope you have a Happy Easter celebration with your family!
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu
