Egg prices haven't fully recovered from the egg shortage that started earlier this year. And with Easter coming up this weekend, parents across the country are scrambling to get their hands on overpriced eggs to dye and decorate for the holiday.
Well, believe it or not, but the humble potato is about to save your holiday. And we're not talking about breakfast potatoes at Easter brunch. People are discovering that potatoes work just as well as eggs when painted or dyed like Easter eggs. Allow us introduce you to the Easter potato, an affordable new Easter tradition.
Several videos have surfaced on TikTok of people swapping out Easter eggs for Easter potatoes. The official TikTok account for the Idaho Potato Commission shared a short tutorial on how to decorate your Easter potato for those still scratching their heads at the idea.
The video starts off with them peeling the potato and then soaking it in water with a splash of vinegar before painting it. And the end result is actually pretty adorable.
Another TikToker, @plantbasedonabudget, took a different approach with their Easter potato. Instead of painting it, they simply dyed their potatoes like normal Easter eggs.
The money-saving hack has received the approval of Potatoes USA, the marketing board representing U.S. growers and importers (who, of course, have a vested interest in people buying more potatoes for Easter).
"As a mom of two kids, I’m constantly looking for new activities. The idea of painting potatoes made me laugh, but honestly, it’s really fun,” said Marisa Stein, director of marketing at Potatoes USA, in a statement. “My kids loved experimenting with different designs. It was silly and a great way to spend time with my family.”
As for the egg shortage, while things have improved, stores are still placing limits on how many cartons you can buy. Back in January, Costcos had signs saying customers were limited to two cartons, and it was reported that a Costco warehouse in Bridgewater, NJ, still had a two-carton limit this week.
It's still unclear when egg prices might level out. According to experts, the inability to control the avian flu (the initial cause of the egg shortage) is causing the uncertainty.
“As farmers kill birds carrying the virus and businesses raise the price of eggs, there is too much focus on how to minimize their harm from avian bird flu when the results have already been produced,” John Scott Meschke, an environmental microbiologist shared with Crosscut. “People should put more attention on how to control avian bird flu...There is still a long way to go to effectively control bird flu."
Danielle Harling is an Atlanta-based freelance writer with a love for colorfully designed-spaces, craft cocktails and online window shopping (usually for budget-shattering designer heels). Her past work has appeared on Fodor’s, Forbes, MyDomaine, Architectural Digest and more.
