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Feature Articles Food, Fitness, and
Holidays Easter Egg SafetyTammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD,
Susan Mills-Gray, Nutrition Specialist, Cass
County, |
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Egg handling at Easter or at any time during the year provides
many chances for eggs to become contaminated with bacteria. Keep
the following tips in mind as you prepare for Peter Cottontail's
visit.
Preparing
Keep fresh eggs refrigerated in the original carton until it's time to cook them. Eggs are a high protein food and are prone to rapid growth of the disease-causing bacteria, salmonella.
Do not handle eggs excessively and wash your hands thoroughly
when you do handle them. The shell of an egg is very porous and
will permit bacteria to penetrate. Most commercial egg producers
lightly coat their eggs with a thin spray coating of mineral oil
to close the shell pores against contamination. Hard-boiling the
egg removes this protective barrier.
Cooking
Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Add enough water
to cover the eggs by one inch. Cover the pan and bring the water
to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and let sit, covered, 15
minutes for large eggs, 13 minutes for medium eggs and 10
minutes for small eggs. Run cold water over the eggs until they
are completely cool. Boiled eggs should be refrigerated and
eaten within a week.
The green ring that sometimes occurs around the yolk of a
hard-boiled egg is a result of sulfur and iron compounds
reacting at 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
still completely safe to eat. The green ring does not affect the
egg’s taste.
Coloring
If you plan to eat the dyed eggs, color them in water that is
warmer than the eggs mixed with food coloring or food-grade egg
dyes. Refrigerate colored eggs in the carton immediately after
coloring them.
Empty eggshells can be dyed and kept indefinitely. The
contents can be used in any recipe that calls for mixed yolks
and whites that will be cooked thoroughly. First, wash and dry
the egg. Next, use a long needle to make a small hole at the
small end of the egg and a large hole at the large end of the
egg. Stick the needle deep into the egg to break the yolk. Empty
the egg by shaking it, large end down, over a bowl or by using a
baster to pull out the contents. Rinse the shell and stand it on
end to dry.
Peeling
Older eggs peel easier. So purchase your eggs for dyeing at least one week head
Research indicates that 2 to 4 tablespoons of salt per gallon of cooking water makes eggs easier to peel. This works best on un-oiled eggs. Eggs sold commercially have been oiled.
Eating
Don't hide the same eggs you plan to eat. Plan to hide plastic eggs and decorate hard-boiled eggs for eating only!
Don’t eat cracked eggs or eggs that have been out of the refrigerator longer than two hours.
Here's a quick and easy recipe for children to help make for the family:
EGG SALAD CHEESE SPREAD
2 c. shredded cheese
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sweet pickle relish
1 tsp. mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all and mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
Source
the American Egg Board (www.aeb.org)
Last update: Monday, August 07, 2006
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