Eggs for Easter and beyond
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EmailHow to make hard cooked eggs and what to do with them.
Easter is the one time a year when it’s a tradition for many families to prepare hard boiled eggs to decorate and sometimes hide for an egg hunt. Hard boiled eggs are easy to prepare and are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.
To hard boil eggs, place eggs in a sauce pan and cover with water enough water to cover eggs by one inch. Cover the pan and cook on high heat until the water comes to a boil. Remove from the burner and allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for 20 minutes. At the end of the 20 minutes, place the pan in the sink, allow cold water to pour over the hot eggs until the eggs are cool. Remove the eggs from the pan and cool in the refrigerator.
If the eggs are very fresh, they can be difficult to peel. If possible, purchase your eggs a week in advance to make them easier to peel. According the American Egg Board, it is easier to peel right after cooling.
After cooking, hard cooked eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you use the eggs in an egg hunt, discard them and do not eat them. Cook extra for eating.
You may be wondering what to do with all of the hard boiled eggs you prepared. They can be enjoyed with a little salt and pepper right out of the shell. Other ideas include: adding diced hard cooked eggs to lettuce salads, making deviled eggs, potato salad or egg salad sandwiches.
The United States Department of Agriculture has a recipe collection, the “USDA Mixing Bowl” where you can find low cost recipes. Here’s one from their collection which uses hard boiled eggs:
Pasta Primavera Salad:
Serves 6
Ingredients
12 ounces pasta (any shape)
1 package frozen mixed vegetables
1 package dry vegetable soup mix
1 cup low fat salad dressing, unsalted
½ cup cheese, reduced fat (shredded)
3 hard boiled eggs (sliced)
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking. Drain. Cook vegetables until just tender in boiling water on the stove or in the microwave. Drain and cool. Combine cold pasta, vegetables, envelope of soup mix and salad dressing. Top with sliced eggs and cheese. Refrigerate until time to serve.
