How long can Easter eggs be safe to eat?

My mom never liked cheap Easter candy, but she loved eating the dyed eggs. As a kid, it shocked and puzzled me, and not just because I preferred chocolate. It just didn’t feel hygienic to me, the kid who had found the eggs and scooped them up with his sticky little child’s hands. But Easter eggs are safe to eat, as long as you do it right.

The window for eating a boiled egg at room temperature is two hours, which gives you plenty of time to decorate, but people usually don’t boil eggs, decorate them, and immediately hide and hunt for them. At least in my childhood home, the eggs were cooked and decorated the day before, then kept in the fridge until Easter morning when my parents hid them.

This is where things get a bit tricky. According to the USDA, the safety of eggs depends on where you hide them, how quickly they are found, and how gently they are handled:

Hunting eggs: We do not recommend using hard-boiled eggs that have been lying on the ground, as they can pick up bacteria, especially if the shells are cracked. If the shells crack, bacteria could contaminate the inside. Eggs should be hidden in places protected from dirt, moisture, pets and other sources of bacteria. The total time for hiding and chasing the eggs should not exceed 2 hours. “Found” eggs should be washed, refrigerated and eaten within 7 days of cooking.

In addition to hiding the eggs in fairly clean places, washing them, and throwing out any that are cracked, be sure to use food coloring or use real food to dye them– if you plan to snack on the eggs found. Or you can just use those plastic eggs, put some candy in them, and eat them instead. You have a lot of good options, that’s what I’m saying.