If You Dye Eggs, Keep Them Safe

From Tammy Roberts, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist

The week before Easter 20 million dozen extra eggs are purchased in the United States. If you are going to use these eggs for the hunt and then eat them it is important to follow food safety principles to prevent illness.

 “It doesn’t seem possible but hard cooked eggs can spoil faster than fresh eggs” said Tammy Roberts of University of Missouri Extension. Eggs are porous and bacteria can penetrate the shell. When they are washed at the plant a protective coating is added but that protective coating is washed away during boiling. Once again, it becomes easier for bacteria to enter the shell. For this reason it is important to refrigerate hard-cooked eggs within two hours of cooking. This means you’ll need to work quickly to get them dyed. 

 If you have a green ring on your egg yolk you may think it isn’t safe. The green ring is a result of sulfur and iron compounds reacting on the surface of the yolk. It can occur when eggs are overcooked or when there is a high amount of iron in the cooking water. “The green ring may not look appetizing but the eggs are completely safe and the taste is not affected” said Tammy Roberts.

The American Egg Board has a recommendation for cooking tender eggs with no green ring: Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Add enough water to cover the eggs by one inch. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Remove from heat leaving the pan covered. Let sit for 15 minutes for large eggs, 13 minutes for medium eggs and 10 minutes for small eggs. Immediately run cold water over eggs until they are completely cooled.

If you don’t want to worry about the safety of the egg, you can carefully empty the shell and then dye it. The first step is to wash and dry the egg. Next, prick the egg with a long needle to make a small hole at the small end of the egg yolk and a larger hole at the large end of the egg. Stick the needle deep into the egg to break the yolk. Then, either shake the egg, large end down, over a bowl or use a baster to pull out the contents. The contents can be used in any thoroughly cooked recipe that calls for mixed yolks and whites.

 Remember, focus on the safety but don’t forget to have fun!