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Eggs have been with us for a very long time.
According to Chinese and Egyptian records, eggs were part of the food supply as early as 1400 B.C. Today, many Americans regard the egg as a symbol of rebirth and life in Easter and Passover celebrations. They even gave rise to the Easter basket tradition.
According to folklore, the Easter basket could have originated in Austria, where women went from house to house singing and begging for eggs before Lent. They then filled children's baskets with the eggs.
Today, Easter eggs represent hope and joy, and they serve to remind us of life's renewal. The custom of coloring them most likely began as a way to welcome spring after a harsh, bleak winter. The colors are symbolic and represent hope for the future.
- Yellow represents sunlight and radiance.
- Green is for nature, growth and healthy abundant Crops.
- White - light, purity, grace and joy
- Red - love and victory
- Blue - good health
- Pink - success
The Easter bunny is intricately involved with egg customs. The concept originated in Germany, where the bunny was thought to be a large relative of the rabbit, who left colored eggs in soft nests of leaves or hay for good children. A poor woman in Bavaria dyed and decorated hens' eggs to give to her children as an Easter gift. The woman's children followed a rabbit after church and found the eggs where their mother had left them, but they thought the rabbit had left them. Thus began the Easter bunny legend.
In many cultures, decorating eggs is an expressive form of art. The Hungarians use red flower patterns with a white background, while the Polish, Southern Russians and Ukrainians produce elaborately decorated eggs called pysanky or written eggs. The eggs feature intricate designs and patterns, which symbolize a wish for a good life.
As Americans decorate eggs for Easter, it is important to remember they are a food and to handle them accordingly.
- At every step -- cooking, cooling and dyeing -- wash your hands.
- Immediately after cooking and coloring, refrigerate hard cooked eggs in their cartons.
- Do not leave colored eggs at room temperature for longer than two hours. If displaying eggs for longer than that, do not plan to eat them.
- Do not color cracked eggs.
- Always eat colored or hard cooked eggs within one week of cooking. You can use left over colored eggs in many ways and egg salad is one of them. Each year the U.S. egg industry promotes Egg Salad Week, the week after Easter. The intent is to offer egg recipes, as well as to promote use of eggs within one week of cooking. For further information and recipe ideas, contact the American Egg Board at www.aeb.org.
Egg Salad
- 6 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, lite mayonnaise or plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
- 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 slices of bread (preferably whole wheat)
- 3 lettuce leaves
- 3 slices of tomato
Chop the eggs in a small bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and mix. Serve immediately or chill until serving time.
To serve, spread egg mixture on 3 slices of bread, top with lettuce and remaining bread slices. Makes 3 sandwiches.
For a lite version- use 3 egg yolks and 1/3 cup of pureed white beans. Use lite mayonnaise or fat free plain yogurt.
Deviled Eggs
- 6 hard-cooked eggs
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, lite sour cream or fat free plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and set whites aside. Mash yolks with fork. Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Refill whites, using about 1 tablespoon yolk mixture for each egg half. Chill to blend flavors.
For a lite version- use 3 egg yolks and 1/3 cup of pureed white beans. Use lite mayonnaise or fat free plain yogurt.
Although we enjoy eating eggs, foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels, putting us at a greater risk for developing heart disease. Four eggs yolks per week are fine for most healthy people. Egg whites are made of protein; they can safely be eaten in any quantity.
Nutrition experts recommend that we consume fewer than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day; one egg contains about 213 milligrams. Studies show, however, that saturated fat appears to raise blood cholesterol levels more than does dietary cholesterol. Other factors affect heart disease, but limiting foods of animal origin, such as high-fat dairy foods, egg yolks, butter, bacon and fatty meats, can help reduce the dietary risk factor.
Try these ideas to reduce cholesterol intake from eggs:
- Use two egg whites instead of one whole egg in recipes requiring egg yolks. These include breads, pancakes or French toast.
- Use cholesterol-free egg products in place of eggs. They are made mostly from egg whites.
For more information about eggs and their nutritional value, contact your local
Colorado State University Extension office.
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Uploaded Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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