For many, Easter is a time to hunt for eggs -- candied, jellied or the old-fashioned hard-boiled kind. Here are a few tips that will help make your hard-boiled Easter eggs turn out perfectly.A fresh egg's shelf life in the refrigerator is about four to five weeks beyond the date it was packed.

As the egg ages, moisture evaporates and the egg sac becomes smaller, leaving more air inside the shell. That's why eggs that are "not too fresh" are easier to peel.

Always refrigerate an egg with the large end up. The yolk will center when cooked and make a better presentation when sliced or halved for deviled eggs.

A little food coloring added to the water will help you distinguish later the hard-cooked eggs from the fresh.

To make sure all the eggs cook evenly, cook them in a single layer in a wide pan or in batches.

Never boil the eggs. They'll be tough and rubbery with a greenish ring around the yolk. To hard cook large-size eggs, place them in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Cover with the saucepan lid and let stand. It takes about 15 minutes. Let medium-size eggs stand about 3 minutes less. Let extra large eggs stand about 3 minutes more, and jumbo eggs stand about 6 minutes more.

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Plunge hard-cooked eggs into cold water while they're hot. This will stop the cooking process and prevent the greenish ring from forming around the yolks, and it will also make the eggs easier to peel.

Refrigerate and use uncracked hard-cooked eggs within a week. Leave them in their shells.

For easy peeling, crack the shell all over by tapping it gently on the table or countertop. Then roll it back and forth between your hands to loosen the cracked shell. Since the egg's air cell is usually in the large end of the egg, start to peel there. It may help to hold the egg under the cold running water or dip it in a bowl of water.

These and many more fun ideas can be found in Dian Thomas' Holiday Fun Year-Round. For more information about Dian Thomas' books, call 1-800-846-6355, or your local bookstore, or check out her Web site at www.dianthomas.com.

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