Enjoy an Eggciting Easter

Hard cooked eggs are a favorite the world over, and are especially popular at Easter time. Children of all ages enjoy an Easter Basket filled with colored eggs. At any time of year, your hard-cooked eggs will turn out better if you follow these suggestions:

To Cook

To make eggs easier to peel, buy those you plan to hard-cook a week or so in advance. The fresher the egg, the harder it may be to peel after hard-cooking. As the egg ages, the air cell that forms between the shell and the egg makes it easier to separate the shell from the egg after it is cooked.

For hard-cooked eggs without “ring around the yolk,” avoid overcooking. To cook, place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Add enough tap water to come at least one inch above the eggs. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Turn off heat. If necessary, remove pan from burner to prevent further boiling. Let eggs stand, covered, in the hot water about 15 to 17 minutes for large eggs. (Adjust time up or down by about 3 minutes for each size larger or smaller.) Immediately run cold water over eggs after cooking.

To Dye:

Wash eggs in a mild detergent solution before dyeing to help remove any oil coating so that the color adheres more evenly.

Never use iron or aluminum pans for hard-cooking eggs you will be dyeing. A chemical reaction between those types of pans and the eggshells keeps the color from adhering properly.

When coloring Easter eggs, try adding more vinegar than usual to the dye. The extra vinegar should help the dye adhere.

If you plan to eat your hard-cooked Easter eggs, they should be refrigerated as much as possible between cooking, decorating, and the hunt or display, and used within a week. If they are cracked or have been out of refrigeration for more than two to three hours, they should be discarded.

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