Potatoes Are This Easter's Perfect Egg Substitution To Fight Inflation

Easter is coming, and with it comes one of the best-loved parts of the holiday: making Easter eggs. Parents get to teach their kids the time-honored tradition of transforming plain eggs into little works of art that are as colorful as jelly beans. And for even more eye-catching eggs that are glittery, striped, tye-dyed, covered with stickers, or turned into ovoid-shaped animals, there's no shortage of egg decorating kits. Something there is a shortage of, unfortunately, is affordable eggs. 

In years past families may have thought nothing of sacrificing a dozen or more eggs for Easter decorating, but with a 70% surge in prices over the last year (per CNBC) those eggs are too precious to throw out or hide around the yard where just anyone on the lookout for cheap eggs can grab them. That's why, even though it sounds like the punchline of a late-night talk show host's joke or a half-hearted meme, one cost-cutting Easter idea is actually getting some serious consideration this year: Instead of dyeing eggs, make a batch of affordable, dyed potatoes for your Easter basket. 

Humble potatoes are understandably thrilled at the chance to finally don some brilliant springtime colors, but does this idea really work? Can potatoes be dyed to look like Easter eggs? 

Though the method is different from dyeing eggs, it's actually very easy to add rainbow colors to spuds. Small varieties of white or yellow potatoes work the best, gently washed to remove dirt. Using food-safe, water-based food coloring and a small paintbrush, brush the dye one drop at a time directly on the surface until the whole potato is coated. Paint the rest of the potatoes and let them dry. And voilà: cheery, colorful little potatoes that look just darling in an Easter basket. 

Dyeing potatoes instead of eggs for Easter has advantages that go beyond saving money: They're sturdier (great news for the inevitable, accidental drops) and they can be left out at room temperature without going bad. Best of all, if the potatoes are dyed with edible food coloring (skip the markers, glue, and glitter), they can be cooked and eaten with Easter dinner. 

Though the Easter Bunny could not be reached for comment, children everywhere are hopeful that, just this one time, he won't object to this frugal Easter basket option!