Egg Basics
Sarah Ohl
Egg Parts With Labels
Egg Sizes and Weight Per Dozen
How to Store Eggs
Eggs are perishable and must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. When properly handled and stored, eggs rarely spoil. However, if you keep them too long, they are likely to dry up.
Refrigerator Storage: Refrigerate eggs at 40°F or less. Store them in their original carton on an inside shelf and away from pungent foods. The carton keeps the eggs from picking up odors or flavors from other foods and helps prevent moisture loss. Raw eggs that have been removed from their shells should be refrigerated in a tightly covered container.
Egg Grading Interior/Exterior Quality
In the grading process, eggs are examined for both interior and exterior quality before they’re sorted according to weight (size). Grade quality and weight (size) are not related to one another. In descending order of quality, grades are designated AA, A, B and C.
Exterior Quality
The first step in egg grading is to examine the shell for cleanliness, soundness, texture and shape. Shell color isn’t a factor in judging quality.
Interior Quality
Albumen is judged on the basis of clarity and firmness or thickness. A clear albumen is free from discolorations or from any floating foreign bodies. Thick albumen permits limited yolk movement while thin albumen permits greater movement – the less movement, the thicker the white and the higher the grade. Factors determining yolk quality are distinctness of outline, size and shape and absence of such defects as blemishes or mottling, embryo development or blood spots. Higher-grade eggs have shallower air cells.
Egg Grade Table
Egg Grade Table
| White | Yolk | Shell | Recipe |
Grade AA | Thick | Dark yellow | Perfect | Fried. poached |
Grade A | Thick | Dark yellow | Perfect | Fried, poached |
Grade B | Thin | Yellow | Small abnormalities | Baking in recipes |
Grade C | Thin | Pale yellow | Abnormalities cracked | Baking in recipes |
Five Ways To Cook Eggs
The basic principle of egg cooking is to use a medium to low temperature and time carefully. When you cook eggs at too high a temperature or for too long at a low temperature, the whites shrink and become tough and rubbery and the yolks become tough and their surface may turn gray-green.
To kill bacteria and other microorganisms, the recommended guidance is to cook eggs until the whites are firm and the yolks thickened. Cook egg dishes to an internal temperature of 160ºF (71ºC). Pasteurized shell eggs are available on the market for those who prefer eggs not cooked to this level of doneness. There are five basic methods for cooking eggs.
Hard Boiled
Bake
Fried
Poached
Scrambled
How To Bake Eggs
Baked
Eggs baked in a dish in the oven, also known as shirred. Break and slip 2 eggs into a greased 10-ounce custard cup, shallow baking dish or ramekin. Spoon 1 tablespoon milk or half and half over the eggs. Bake in a preheated 325ºF (163ºC) oven until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the number of servings you’re baking.
How To Hard Boil Eggs
Hard-Boiled / Hard-Cooked (solidify the white and yolk)
Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add enough cold water to come at least 1 inch above the eggs. Heat over high heat to boiling. Cook at a low boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the stove and immediately run cold water over the eggs or place them in ice water until they're completely cooled. It’s almost impossible to hard-boil eggs at altitudes above 10,000 feet. The dark ring around a hard-boiled yolk is caused by over cooking. To prevent don’t over cook the egg.
How To Fry An Egg
For Sunny-Side-Up Eggs: Heat a small amount of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Break eggs and slip into pan, one at a time. Immediately reduce heat to low. Cover pan and cook slowly until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, 5 to 6 minutes.
For Over-Easy or Over-Hard Eggs: Cook as for Sunny-Side-Up, but do not cover pan. When whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, 5 to 6 minutes. Slide turner under
each egg and carefully flip it over in pan.
Cook second side to desired doneness,
30 seconds to 1 minute.
How to Poach an Egg
Poached
Heat 2 to 3 inches of water or other liquid in a large saucepan or deep skillet to boiling. Adjust heat to keep liquid simmering gently. Break cold eggs, one at a time, into a custard cup or saucer. Holding the dish close to the liquid's surface, slip the eggs, one by one, into the water. Cook until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not stir. With a slotted spoon, lift out the eggs. Drain the eggs in the slotted spoon or on paper towels. Use very fresh
eggs for poaching. They hold their shape better and
form fewer wispy threads or "angel wings" in the
water.
How to Scramble An Egg
Scrambled
Beat together 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk or water, salt and pepper, if you like, until blended. Heat a small amount of butter or cooking spray in a 7 to 8 inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet over medium heat until hot. Pour in the egg mixture. As the eggs begin to set, gently pull the eggs across the pan with an inverted turner, forming large soft curds. Continue cooking - pulling, lifting and folding eggs until thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly.
Nutrients in Eggs
What are the Functions of Eggs in Cooking?
How To Use Old Eggs
Eggs that are a week old
are better to use when
Hard Boiling. The air has
been able to seep into
the egg shell causing the
Outer Shell Membrane to
detach slightly from the
Inner Shell Membrane.
#2 from #3.
Stages of Whipped Egg Whites
The stages of "peaks" is the same for beating egg whites or making whipped cream.
1. No Peaks - After a few minutes of whipping, the egg whites are getting foamy and opaque, but they're still so liquidy that they won't hold a shape at all.
2. Soft Peak - When you turn your whisk upside down, the peaks are just starting to hold. They're soft and melt back into themselves after a second.
3. Firm Peak - Now when you turn your whisk upside down, the peaks will hold and the ridges are more distinct, but the tips fold back on themselves.
4. Stiff Peak - Turn the whisk upside down, and those peaks hold proudly! They should point straight up without collapsing at all (or maybe a little bit just at the very tips). The mixture is thick and heavy.
5. Over-beating - It's possible to take it too far. After the stiff peak stage, egg whites will start to look grainy and dull. They will eventually collapse back on themselves. Whipped cream will also get grainy and will start to separate into fat and liquid.
Stages of Whipped Eggs
Egg Video Clips
The Hens
The Eggs
Egg Farming History
Road Trip Egg Farm
Hen House
Egg Processing
Eggs by the Number