All About Cooking and Storing Eggs

Tips About Eggs

By Tina Caldwell

We have heard and read many facts and findings about
eggs. Sometimes we hear that eggs are good for us and
other times we hear that eggs can create health problems.
We have found a few facts and tips about eggs which you
might find helpful and beneficial.

An egg is very nutritious and makes a valuable contribution
to the diet. Eggs may be eaten in place of meat, as they are
an excellent source of high quality protein. Eggs contain all
nine essential amino acids as well as supply 11 essential
nutrients including vitamins A, D, E, thiamin, niacin, and
riboflavin plus iron and phosphorus. One to two eggs are
considered a serving and may be substituted in place of a
2-3 ounce (60-90 g) serving of meat, fish or poultry.

The color of the egg yolk is determined by the diet of the
hen and does not affect the nutritional value or quality of
the egg. When hens are fed a larger proportion of wheat
in relation to other ingredients in a diet, they produce
eggs with pale yolks. A diet containing a high proportion
of yellow corn, will result in eggs with darker yolks. The
color of the shell is determined by the breed of hen and
both brown and white eggs are equally nutritious

Eggs can be frozen in their shells, and can still be hard-
cooked successfully, but other uses are limited. Raw eggs
may be frozen at -18°C (0°F) for up to a year. Egg whites
can be frozen in a freezer, airtight container as they are;
be sure to leave room for expansion. To freeze yolks or
whole eggs, break them into a bowl, and mix gently so
as not to add air. To prevent lumpiness in the yolk, add
salt, sugar or corn syrup (depending on the intended use)
in the following amounts:

* 2 tsp (2 ml) salt for every 1 cup (250 ml) eggs
* 1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar or corn syrup for every 1 cup
(250 ml) eggs

It is best if you freeze eggs in small quantities so you can
easily thaw what you need.
An easy way to freeze eggs is to place them in an ice cube
tray and then transfer them to a plastic bag. It is safest to
thaw eggs in the refrigerator and use them in recipes in
which the eggs are thoroughly cooked. Hard-cooked eggs
do not freeze successfully, because the cooked egg whites
tend to become tough and rubbery.

Cooking Tips

The "Best Before" date is written on an egg carton two to
three weeks after the eggs are graded and indicates the
length of time the eggs will maintain their good and/or
fresh quality. After that date they may still be used but
are best for scrambling, baking or hard-cooking. Eggs
are packed in cartons with the larger, rounder ends up
to keep the yolks centered and thus gives a more
attractive appearance to hard-cooked and devilled eggs.
Use fresh eggs for frying and poaching. In fresh eggs the
yolks are higher, and whites are thick.

For microwave cooking, choose a good quality container
suited for micro waving. Round shapes work best for
cooking eggs. Use moderate heat when cooking eggs. If
you cook eggs at too high a temperature, or for too long
at a low temperature, both the egg white and the egg
yolk will become tough.

You can poach eggs several hours or even a day or two
ahead. Under-poach the eggs slightly and store them in
ice-cold water. Immerse the poached eggs in simmering
water for one to two minutes just before serving them.

Although it is best to serve scrambled eggs immediately
after cooking them, you can hold them warm for a short
time by covering them and placing them over a pan of
hot water. Do not keep scrambled eggs hot by placing
them over direct heat, as they will become rubbery.

To hard boil eggs:
Do not overcook your hard-boiled eggs or you will get a
gray ring around the egg yolk.
Place the eggs in a saucepan and add enough water to at
least 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the eggs.
Cover the eggs and bring them rapidly to boiling.
Reduce heat or remove pan from heat to prevent further
boiling. Let eggs stand in hot water until cooked as desired:
2 to 5 minutes for soft-cooked;
16 to 20 minutes for hard-cooked.

Cool soft-cooked eggs for a few seconds in cold water to
stop further cooking. Immediately cool hard-cooked eggs
thoroughly in cold running water. Hard-cooked eggs can
be kept in the refrigerator in or out of the shell for up to
a week.

Eggs are porous and should be kept away from strong
smelling foods in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
If you store eggs in their cartons, you provide eggs with
additional
protection and to prevent them from absorbing odors.
Store leftover egg yolks or whites in airtight containers
and use as quickly as possible. Cover yolks with cold
water to prevent them from drying out.

Because eggs are a perishable food, they should be stored
in the refrigerator. For optimum quality, eggs should be
consumed before the "best before" date expires.

For every hour eggs are kept at room temperature, they
age an entire day. .

Substitutions:
If you want to substitute large eggs with another size you
can use the following as a guide-

Extra Large Medium Small
1 large 1 1 1
2 large 2 2 3
3 large 3 4 4
4 large 3 5 6
5 large 4 6 7
6 large 5 7 8

If you have extra whites, you can use 1 whole egg + 2
egg whites for every 2 eggs in a recipe.