Here are some safety tips from Susan Krumm, Douglas County Extension Office, to remember when making Easter eggs this year:

¢ Dyeing eggs: After hard-cooking eggs, dye them and return them to the refrigerator within two hours. If eggs are to be eaten, use a food-safe coloring. As with all foods, persons dyeing the eggs should wash their hands before handling the eggs.

¢ Decorations: One Easter bread recipe is decorated with dyed, cooked eggs in the braided bread. After baking, serve within two hours or refrigerate and use within three to four days.

¢ Blowing out eggshells: Because some raw eggs may contain salmonella, you must use caution when blowing out the contents to hollow out the shell for decorating. Use only eggs that have been kept refrigerated and are uncracked. To destroy bacteria that may be present on the surface of the egg, wash the egg in hot water and then rinse in a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach per half-cup of water. After blowing out the egg, refrigerate the contents and use within two to four days.

¢ Hunting eggs: Hard-cooked eggs for an egg hunt must be prepared with care to prevent cracking the shells. If the shells crack, bacteria could contaminate the inside. Eggs should be hidden in places that are protected from dirt, pets and other sources of bacteria. The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should not exceed two hours. The “found” eggs must be re-refrigerated and eaten within seven days of cooking.