Egg dying is a common Eastertime activity. It ranks up there with gorging on a mountain of chocolate bunnies and a hearty brunch as one of the best ways to celebrate Easter.
Easter eggs are beautiful to look at, especially the multicolored ones with (sometimes) intricate designs, but many people wonder if they are safe to eat.
Since they are made from hard-boiled eggs (and we’d hate to throw away a tasty egg salad sandwich), they must be eaten. On the other hand, there is some concern about the safety of eating Easter eggs that have been dyed. Read on to find out if you really can eat those brightly colored Easter eggs.
You probably don’t want to throw away your hard work after boiling eggs, decorating them with an egg dye kit, and hiding them all over the house for the big Easter egg hunt.
The answer to the question of whether or not you should eat those eggs is not as cut-and-dry as you might hope.
It’s difficult to comply with FDA egg safety regulations, which state that eggs must be cooked and refrigerated within 72 hours, if they aren’t already past their expiration date, when they’re strewn about the yard or used as Easter basket decorations.
However, the following safety measures should be taken before consuming any dyed Easter eggs.
Can you eat dyed Easter eggs?
Can you eat colored eggs? We’ll find out. The answer is affirmative, but only if you adhere to the guidelines provided below. Savor them with a pinch of salt, or make this traditional Easter bread with eggs dyed with food coloring.
Of course, you shouldn’t eat eggs if they’ve been tampered with in any way (cracks, chemical food dye, extended storage at room temperature, etc.). Instead, you can use them to embellish the center piece of your Easter dinner table.
How do you prepare hard-boiled eggs for dyeing?
Properly hard-boiling your eggs will not only make sure they are safe to eat, but also improve their flavor. Eggs should be used at the beginning.
Do not use the egg carton that has been collecting dust in the back of your fridge for weeks just because you plan to decorate the eggs inside of it.
Instead, try the egg float water test or buy fresh eggs. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t eat any eggs that have been cracked (you can still decorate them for fun, but you shouldn’t eat them if they’re cracked).
Which Easter egg dyes are safe to eat?
Some egg dyes are made with food-safe coloring, while others are purely for decoration.
Avoid using any artificial methods, such as chemical dyes, paints, or other designs on the eggs, if you intend to eat them. Choose food-coloring dyes or natural fruit and vegetable dyes instead.
How about vinegar-dyed eggs? For better dye adhesion on the eggshell, vinegar is frequently used. If you use a food-safe dye, you can still consume the eggs after applying vinegar.
How do you store dyed Easter eggs?
Easter eggs should be refrigerated as soon as possible after they are purchased.
The decorated eggs can be hidden in the backyard for a few hours or put on display at the dinner table. However, the FDA reports that this is a common cause of food poisoning.
The FDA advises against keeping cooked eggs and egg dishes at room temperature for longer than two hours, or one hour when the temperature is above 90 degrees.
You can keep your hard-boiled Easter eggs in the fridge for up to a week after the holiday if you store them properly, in case you were wondering how long hard-boiled eggs last after the holiday.