Safety of hard-cooked eggs for dyeing

Handling raw eggs safely

If your family enjoys dyeing eggs for decorations, games and eating, remember they are a perishable food and need to be handled accordingly.

The shells are the egg’s first line of defense, so work with eggs carefully to prevent cracking. Eggs with cracked shells should not be decorated or eaten.

Because raw eggs may contain Salmonella or other bacteria, wash your hands with warm water and soap before handling them and at every step of egg preparation. This includes cooking, cooling, dyeing, and even hiding them for games.

Directions for hard-cooking eggs

Hard-cooking eggs should kill Salmonella bacteria, but it will not prevent them from spoiling or getting re-contaminated. Refrigerate hard-cooked eggs before dyeing them and when you are not using them. Do not leave eggs out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.

Make sure your refrigerator is set to 40°F (4°C) or below. Avoid storing eggs in the refrigerator door, as it tends to be the warmest spot. Do not leave eggs out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.

To hard-cook eggs:

1. Place a single layer of eggs in a saucepan.
2. Add cold water to come at least 1 inch above the eggs.
3. Cover and bring the water to a boil; turn off the heat.
4. Let the eggs stand covered in the hot water for 15 minutes for large eggs, 12 minutes for medium, and 18 minutes for extra large. The internal temperature of the eggs should reach a minimum of 160°F.
5. Immediately run cold water over the eggs; when they are cool, drain and refrigerate.

Eggs prepared this way have less of a green tinge around the yolk, fewer cracks and are easier to peel. Another tip for reducing egg peeling frustration is to age eggs in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days before hard-cooking.

Hard-cooked eggs spoil faster than regular eggs because the boiling process breaks down the shell, allowing for air and bacteria to permeate the inside. Hard-cooked eggs should be used within one week of cooking.

Decorating hard-cooked eggs

Always use food-safe dye and start with chilled, uncracked, hard-cooked eggs. Consider coloring one batch of eggs just for decoration or the egg hunt, and a separate batch for eating.

While the boiling process kills most harmful bacteria on hard-cooked eggs, the shells can become contaminated during the decorating process. To reduce this risk, wash hands with warm water and soap, and make sure all utensils and surfaces are properly cleaned and sanitized.

Once decorated, eggs should be either eaten within two hours or placed back in the refrigerator right away.

Get creative with these dyeing options:

• Red: Beets
• Yellow: Turmeric
• Green: Spinach
• Blue: Grape juice concentrate
• Pink: Cranberry juice
• Brown: Coffee

Egg hunt safety tips

For a fun and safe egg hunt, it’s best to use plastic eggs for hiding and save the hard-cooked eggs for eating. If you do use hard-cooked eggs, ensure they are eaten within two hours of being taken out of the refrigerator.

Do not use any eggs that are cracked, as bacteria can enter through the shell and make them unsafe to eat. When hiding eggs, avoid placing them on the ground or in areas with dirt, pesticides, lawn chemicals, or signs of pests.

If the egg hunt is held outdoors, participants should wash their hands with warm water and soap before enjoying any eggs they plan to eat.