Braswell Family Farms busy at Easter

NASHVILLE — Easter season is egg-ceptionally busy for Braswell Family Farms.

"Easter is special because it is first and foremost a time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and how his resurrection has made way for us to spend eternity with Him," said Trey Braswell, fourth-generation owner and operator of the Nash County egg producer. "We also appreciate how the activities focusing on eggs emphasize the importance of spending time with family and kicking off the season of outdoor activities. So all-in-all, Easter is definitely a busy time of the year for us."

To help families enjoy Easter together, Braswell offered the following tips on hard-boiled eggs.

"We recommend using a wider saucepan with a lid when cooking hard-boiled eggs," Braswell said. "It's important the eggs can fit in one layer to evenly cook the individual eggs. Start with cold water and not hot. The temperature will rise slower, preventing the risk of shells cracking and promoting even cooking. Boil on medium/high heat for 15 minutes, then immediately put in ice cold water to stop cooking process."

EGG DYES

While egg dye kits are available at many stores, a more natural process of egg dyeing is available. First, prepare eggs as previously described then use the following formulas to naturally dye eggs.

For naturally dyed Easter eggs, boil eggs for 30 minutes in the following solutions:

• Deep gold, use turmeric.

• Sienna, use onion-skin.

• Dark rich brown, use black coffee.

For these colors soak eggs in the following room-temperature solutions for 30 minutes:

• Pale yellow, use turmeric.

• Orange, use onion-skin.

• Light brown, use black coffee.

• Light pink, use beets.

• Light blue, use cabbage.

• For royal blue, soak in a room-temperature cabbage solution overnight.

• For lavender, soak eggs in room temperature beet solution for 30 minutes, then room temperature cabbage solution for 30 seconds.

• For chartreuse, soak eggs in room temperature turmeric solution for 30 minutes, then room temperature cabbage solution for 5 seconds.

For salmon, soak in room temperature turmeric solution for 30 minutes, then room temperature onion skin solution for 30 minutes.

DIRECTIONS

Choose an ingredient listed and toss in a handful, or several, into a saucepan. Use your own judgment about quantity. This is an art, not a science.

Add about a cup of water for each handful of chosen ingredient, so the water is at least an inch above dye materials. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a minimum of 15 minutes up to an hour, until the color is the desired shade. Keep in mind that the eggs will dye a lighter shade.

Remove the pan from the heat. Use cheesecloth or a fine sieve to strain the dye mixture into a small bowl that is deep enough to completely cover eggs to be dyed.

Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of white vinegar for each cup of dye liquid.

With a spoon or wire egg holder, lower the eggs into the hot liquid. Let the eggs stand until they reach the desired color. For emptied eggshells, stir or rotate for even coloring.

With a slotted spoon or wire egg holder, remove eggs to a drying rack or drainer and allow the eggs to dry thoroughly. Hard-boiled eggs intended for consumption should be refrigerated within two hours, and always follow tips for egg safety.

Enjoy these eggs by themselves or slice them on toast, use them in an egg salad or as a colorful deviled egg appetizer.

TYPES OF EGGS

Hens that produce organic eggs eat organic feed and have access to the outdoors in a cage-free, free-range or pasture-raised environment. Organic feed is grown without the use of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. It's grown by certified organic farmers whose practices are monitored for three years prior to being certified organic.

"We produce eggs from conventional, free-roaming, pasture-raised and free-range chickens," Braswell said. "Free roaming means they live and roam with other hens in a barn. They do not have access to the outdoors, but they are able to exhibit natural behaviors such as dust bathing, perching and laying eggs in nests."

The farm's hens also produce free-roaming organic eggs. Those hens have access to the outside, with access to shelter at all times. Pasture-raised hens can be organic or non-organic and have outdoor access with 2.5 acres of space per 1,000 hens. They have access to shelter at all times.

Free-range eggs can also be organic or non-organic, and these hens have outdoor access with 2-square-feet of space per hen and access to shelter at all times.