Coloring Easter eggs is not only fun but a wonderful tradition often involving an Easter egg hunt. Just because your eggs are hard boiled, doesn’t mean they can go unrefrigerated. To avoid food borne illness, never eat them if unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours. If unsure of how long they have been left out of the refrigerator, throw them out. For your Easter egg hunt, its best to simply use the plastic eggs; especially when planning an outdoor hunt. Cracked shells may go unnoticed and allow for easy contamination from dirt and bacteria.
It is suggested that your hard boiled eggs should be eaten within 7 days of cooking. Some popular uses for your hard boiled eggs are egg salad, deviled eggs or simply slicing on top of your favorite salad.
If you plan on using your beautifully colored eggs in a popular bread, make sure you refrigerate the cooked bread within 2 hours of it being cooked and out of the oven.
Lastly, the “use by” date on the egg carton indicates the date to use for best quality. However, for egg safety, avoid eating eggs greater than two weeks beyond the “sell by” date.
So weather you choose to make your Easter eggs pastel, neon or glittered, have fun doing it, while keeping your family and friends safe. Enjoy the hunt!
Linda Altenburger, Senior Nutritionist, SNAP-Ed