What we do for our children...

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

wouldn't that be a horrible waste not to eat them?!

I really don't see it as all that wasteful. We use them for our only Easter decorations. So, it's actually a lot cheaper and better for the environment to use them instead of buying plastic eggs, even if we do throw them out when we are done.

The dye stays on the shell unless the shell breaks while boiling them then alittle dye gets on the egg itself.

You must do it differently than us. We didn't boil the eggs in dye. We mixed dye from an Easter egg package with water and vinegar and put each colour into a bowl and let the children colour them that way.

Are you saying that the inside of the eggs don't end up coloured at all when you go to eat them?

When I was a kid, we always hunted for the real eggs and then ate them later.

I've never known anyone to use real eggs. Around here, we use chocolate eggs or plastic eggs filled with jelly beans. That way, when you find the eggs, it's like getting a yummy prize.

The coloring is basically food coloring same thing I use when I decorate cakes & the kids eat that for sure!

Maybe it depends on what you use to colour the eggs? Like I said, our dye came from a kit and it was pretty strong. We spilled some of it, diluted with water, on the counter and couldn't get it off. Even using cleaning products, it can still be faintly seen. I'm not sure I want that inside of me! I tend to avoid natural and artificial additives though, in general.

Well, it's good to hear that it's safe. I still would recommend refridgerating the eggs though. That doesn't work for us because we keep them out as decorations.

 

[momsal]

Wait a minute . . . are people saying that they eat the eggs after they colour them? Is that safe?

We also took school lunches in bags without ice packs,

 

[bavaria]

I really don't see it as all that wasteful. We use them for our only Easter decorations. So, it's actually a lot cheaper and better for the environment to use them instead of buying plastic eggs, even if we do throw them out when we are done

One could argue that plastic eggs can be reused yearly, and one can also that intentionally preparing food for disposal is shameful or at least wasteful.

By the way, I just ate a dyed egg for lunch. If I disappear you will all know why

 

[bavaria]

We also took school lunches in bags without ice packs,

And in many parts of the world eggs are not kept in the cool case in shops

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/poultry/faq/marketing.htm#eggfrig

Why are eggs not refrigerated?
Before purchase by the consumer, EC legislation requires that eggs are stored and transported at a preferably constant temperature. This is current practice within the UK egg industry and the reason why the majority of retail outlets' egg displays are not refrigerated. Changes in storage temperature and humidity can lead to condensation forming on the egg shell which can cause mould growth together with the possibility that any bacteria may infect the eggs as a result.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

One could argue that plastic eggs can be reused yearly, and one can also that intentionally preparing food for disposal is shameful or at least wasteful.

By the way, I just ate a dyed egg for lunch. If I disappear you will all know why

They can't really be reused for us. See, we did our egg dying with the children and the Sunday School and they got to take them home with them when they went. So, if we gave them plastic eggs, they wouldn't be getting them back to reuse them next year, kwim?

Anyway, I was just generally curious about the safety of this since it's not customary here to eat dyed eggs. I've posted a blurb about egg safety and now know that it can be done with a little precaution. Eat away!

 

[meandtheguys2]

I really don't see it as all that wasteful. We use them for our only Easter decorations. So, it's actually a lot cheaper and better for the environment to use them instead of buying plastic eggs, even if we do throw them out when we are done.

Do you think? Does that include the cost (environmentally) of raising and feeding the birds and transporting the eggs to market for an indefinite number of years? Our Easter Egg Hunt just recycles the plastic eggs. We've had them for 15 years.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

And in many parts of the world eggs are not kept in the cool case in shops

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/poultry/faq/marketing.htm#eggfrig

But there's also a big difference on the type of agricultural practices that are allowed in Canada and in the US. We are allowed to inject our animals with many different things and feed them many different things. Therefore, I would think that the end product would be quite different. I'm truly not an egg farmer or egg expert, I just think that there are reasons that certain food and safety procedures are followed.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Do you think? Does that include the cost (environmentally) of raising and feeding the birds and transporting the eggs to market for an indefinite number of years? Our Easter Egg Hunt just recycles the plastic eggs. We've had them for 15 years.

I'm not really sure what you are suggesting? That we shouldn't let the kids colour eggs at all? No doubt there's an environmental cost but I think it's pretty minimal. Each kid coloured 3 eggs, not a dozen or more. I think that we were pretty reasonable. I think you're right about using the plastic eggs for the egg hunt. Like I said, I've never seen anyone around here actually use real eggs.

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

I didn't have it tested.

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

We also took school lunches in bags without ice packs,

So true I had tuna fish in my locker at school with no ice packs. And I am still here.

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

1. You might just want to go ahead and have a shot of vodka - you're going to need it

2. Poke a hole in the top and bottom of the egg with a saftey pin. You may need to make the holes a little bigger depending on what sort of "surprises" you find inside

3. Push the pin in the top and bottom holes and swoosh the pin around, breaking up the "yellow boogers" and antything else thats thick and oozy

4. (This is why you had the shot of vodka) Hold your head over a bowl (or toilet... you might need it after you complete this step) and press your lips firmly to the bottom of the egg. Blow hard.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 until you feel like a winner mom. I happened to complete 16 eggs (two of them cracked mid blow) but then again, I have some catching up to do on the winner points for the year.


Enjoy!

I just kept repeating step 1 over and over again.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I just kept repeating step 1 over and over again.

Yeah, I keep getting stuck on the first step as well.

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

So the twins have been nonstop talking about coloring Easter Eggs.

I finally caved today. We went to the store after school and bought 18 Grade A Large Eggs.

But, because our family really doesn't eat hardboiled OR deviled eggs, I decided to be the winner mom and blow out the insides of the eggs to make a keish and just dye the shell.

And as I am pressing my lips to a vessel that came out of a chickens you-know-where, I thought to myself "Nothing says 'Welcome Home Jesus' like a chicken embryo oozing out of a shell"

To add to the grossness of it all, DD5 blurts out "Eeeww... it looks like yellow boogers!" Thanks, kid.

Now I am scrubbing my lips with anti-bacterial soap hoping that I don't end up in the ER tomorrow with a horrible case of Salmonella and trying to convince myself that I won't give up scrambled eggs for life.





Happy Easter, everyone.

You are a great mom. My daughter is 20 years old and we still dye eggs. The eggs are safe to eat after you dye them. They are no worse than the car fumes we inhale at at a drive thru.

 

[Southern4sure]

You must do it differently than us. We didn't boil the eggs in dye. We mixed dye from an Easter egg package with water and vinegar and put each colour into a bowl and let the children colour them that way.

Are you saying that the inside of the eggs don't end up coloured at all when you go to eat them?

Nope I dont boil the eggs in any kind of dye, I use plain tap water. But sometimes the eggs crack while boiling. I also use those cute lil egg dye kits and vinegar. What I meant was sometimes the dye will seep through the crack and the egg white will have some dye on it. BUT IT IS OK, you will come to no harm eating a egg with dye on it.

Thought you might be interested in natural dyes for eggs, I think I'll continue using vinegar and dye tablets.

Here is the preferred method for using natural dyes:

Place the eggs in a single layer in a pan. Add water until the eggs are covered.
Add approximately one teaspoon of vinegar.
Add the natural dye. Use more dye material for more eggs or for a more intense color.
Bring water to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
If you are pleased with the color, remove the eggs from the liquid.
If you want more intensely colored eggs, temporarily remove the eggs from the liquid. Strain the dye through a coffee filter (unless you want speckled eggs). Cover the eggs with the filtered dye and let them remain in the refrigerator overnight.

Lavender - Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice, Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice,

Violet Blue - Violet Blossoms, Small Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled)

Blue - Canned Blueberries

Red - Cabbage Leaves (boiled)

Purple - Grape Juice

Green - Spinach Leaves (boiled), Liquid Chlorophyll

Greenish Yellow - Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled), Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled), Carrot Tops (boiled),

Yellow - Celery Seed (boiled), Ground Cumin (boiled), Ground Turmeric (boiled)

Brown - Strong Coffee, Instant Coffee

Black - Walnut Shells (boiled)

Orange - Yellow Onion Skins (boiled)

Pink - Beets, Cranberries or Juice, Raspberries, Red Grape Juice
Juice from Pickled Beets,

Red - Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled)

 

[aprilgail2]

We dye about 2 dozen eggs every year, I make egg salad out of 2 for grandma since she is the only one that would eat eggs and the rest get tossed. I did blow out a few one year but I toss that right away, I would not use it, it just seems to "germy" to me once you had your mouth on the egg and blowing there has got to be some salvia in there and I will admit that would gross me out to use those.

 

[shortbun]

We're dying a dozen today. DH boiled them last night and ice bathed them so I can make deviled eggs after Easter morning. I've kept hardboiled eggs in my frig for several days and eaten them. They keep well. I'm talkin' maybe 5 days.

 

[mirthmaiden]

I thought to myself "Nothing says 'Welcome Home Jesus' like a chicken embryo oozing out of a shell"

My last case of food poisoning was Easter a few years back. Bad potato salad. Probably stored near pets, dirt or "other" bacteria.

Was the potato salad purchased in a drive-thru?

Please don't tell me it was chicken butt bacteria...

OK.

What can I say? I've managed to get through 39....um....uh.....I mean 29 years (yeah, that's it) without dying from the dyed eggs. I'm a thrill seeker I guess

When I consider all of the dangerous stunts I've pulled - like blowing yolks out of eggs - I'm amazed I'm still here.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 until you feel like a winner mom.

All this time I never knew that's all I would have to do to feel like a winner mom.

I really don't see it as all that wasteful. We use them for our only Easter decorations. So, it's actually a lot cheaper and better for the environment to use them instead of buying plastic eggs, even if we do throw them out when we are done.



You must do it differently than us. We didn't boil the eggs in dye. We mixed dye from an Easter egg package with water and vinegar and put each colour into a bowl and let the children colour them that way.

Are you saying that the inside of the eggs don't end up coloured at all when you go to eat them?



I've never known anyone to use real eggs. Around here, we use chocolate eggs or plastic eggs filled with jelly beans. That way, when you find the eggs, it's like getting a yummy prize.



Maybe it depends on what you use to colour the eggs? Like I said, our dye came from a kit and it was pretty strong. We spilled some of it, diluted with water, on the counter and couldn't get it off. Even using cleaning products, it can still be faintly seen. I'm not sure I want that inside of me! I tend to avoid natural and artificial additives though, in general.

Well, it's good to hear that it's safe. I still would recommend refridgerating the eggs though. That doesn't work for us because we keep them out as decorations.

But there's also a big difference on the type of agricultural practices that are allowed in Canada and in the US. We are allowed to inject our animals with many different things and feed them many different things. Therefore, I would think that the end product would be quite different. I'm truly not an egg farmer or egg expert, I just think that there are reasons that certain food and safety procedures are followed.

Your posts are always so informative.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Here is the preferred method for using natural dyes:

Wow! What a cool list. Thank you so much, Southern4sure!

And I understand now that eating dyed eggs is safe. Thanks all.