Decorating and hunting brightly colored eggs tops many Easter to-do list, and it all starts with the simple boiled egg. Here are a few tips for cooking up the perfect egg without cracking shells, and how to keep them fresh so they don’t go to waste after Easter.
To boil up the perfect Easter egg, buy eggs for boiling about one week prior to use. Fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. Select eggs with clean, uncracked shells, and refrigerate them until ready to boil.
To boil, place raw eggs in a single layer in a saucepan then cover with tap water to at least one inch above the eggs. If you’re dying eggs, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water to help the coloring dye adhere to the shell.
Cover pan and bring to just boiling over high heat, then cover and remove from heat. Let eggs stand covered for 15 minutes. After standing, immediately place eggs in ice water or under cold running water to cool. Refrigerate boiled eggs until ready to use.
Nordicware’s Microwave 4-Egg Boiler is great for small batches >>
Dye and decorate boiled eggs with your favorite Easter Egg decorating kit, or visit McCormick Spices Easter Ideas page for fun Easter Egg decorating ideas using everyday food coloring.
Remember, boiled eggs stay fresh for only about two hours at room temperature. Use plastic eggs for outdoor Easter egg hunts and all-day decorations if you intend to eat dyed eggs after Easter festivities are over.