Egg Notes

Eggs Notes
Storing Eggs
Since eggs are highly perishable, take them home right away after shopping and store them immediately. Handle
eggs gently to prevent cracking them. Always discard dirty eggs and any that are cracked and leaking.
Don’t wash eggs before storing them. Washing eggs t home removes the protective coating that prevents bacteria
from getting inside the shell.
Refrigerate eggs in the original carton rather than the egg tray in the refrigerator door. Each time you open the door,
the temperature drops, so eggs stored in the door may lose quality. In addition, since eggshells are porous, they pick
up aromas from other foods if stored uncovered?
Raw eggs stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to four weeks, depending on the freshness when purchased and the
refrigerator temperature.
A red spot in the egg means that one or more small blood vessels in the yolk ruptured, but the egg is safe to use.
Egg Science
Coagulation
The proteins in eggs are shaped like coils. When heated, the coils unwind and join loosely with other proteins. The
new structures form pockets that hold water. When this happens, the egg coagulates, or become firm, changing from
a liquid to a semisolid or solid state. This property is what help eggs bind ingredients in foods like meatloaf and
thicken such dishes as custards and fillings. High heat and overcooking cause the protein structure to tighten and
push out the water. As a result, the protein becomes tough and watery. The cooked eggs may be dry and
unappetizing.
Emulsifiers
Eggs are excellent emulsifiers, meaning they hold together two liquids that normally won’t stay mixed, such as water
and oil. In yolk protein, one end of an amino acids bonds with water, but the other end bonds with oil. This gives
egg yolk the power to hold two ingredients together, whether it’s vinegar and oil in a salad dressing or lemon juice
and oil in mayonnaise.
Foams
When you beat egg whites, a foam forms, as occurs when you beat cream. Egg whites have large protein molecules.
As the whites are beaten, air enter the mixture. An egg white foam adds volume and lightness to such baked goods
as angel food cake and soufflés. A soufflés is made by folding stiffly beaten egg whites into a sauce or puréed food.
It is baked in a casserole until it puff up. Beaten egg whites are also used to make meringues.
Meringues
Meringue is a foam made of beaten egg whites and sugar and used for baked desserts. Meringue is either soft or
hard. Soft meringue tops pies and tarts and is incorporated in rice and bread puddings. Hard meringue is made into
cookies and dessert shells.
When liquid accumulates between the meringue and pie filling, the meringue is said to weep. This occurs because
the meringue was spread on a cool filling. To avoid this, always spread the meringue on a hot filling. Beading, brown
droplets on the surface of the meringue, may occur if the meringue is overcooked.
Beating Egg Whites

When you beat whites, the foam should rise well. It should be stable and not collapse when folded with other
ingredients and when baked. How can you make this happen?
Make sure no trace of yok is in the whit. Even a drop of the yolk’s fat can keep a foam from reaching full volume. If
yolk falls into the white, refrigerate and start again using another egg white. Make sure beaters and bowls are clean
and free from fat. Use only glass or metal bowls since plastic and wooden bowls absorb fat and aluminum bowls
darkens the whites.
Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for up to 20 minutes before beating. This helps the foam reach full volume.
If the egg white is cold, the protein doesn’t break down as readily to allow foam formation.
You can add an acidic ingredient, such as cream of tartar, may be added before beating. Some recipes call for
vinegar or lemon juice, which add flavor. Sugar may be used along with cream of tartar for stabilization.
Shirred eggs
Eggs baked in greased, shallow dish and topped with small amount of milk.
Omelet holds egg mixture together to form a large, thick pancake, which is filled and then folded over before serving.
Frittata is like an omelet, but the ingredients are stirred into the egg mixture, which is not
folded after cooking.
Quiche is a pie with custard filling, contain such foods as chopped vegetables, cheese and chopped cooked meat
Poaching eggs – cooks them in simmering water. This method adds no fat while cooking. To poach eggs, put water,
milk or broth in a saucepan to a depth of about 2 to 3 inches. Heat to boiling and then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Break one egg at a time in a small dish. Hold the dish close to the surface of the liquid and slip in the egg. Cook until
the white is completely set, about 3 to 5 minutes. The yolk should be thickened. Remove cooked eggs, one at a
time, with a slotted spoon and drain for few seconds. Poached eggs are served on toast

Egg Notes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Egg Notes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Egg Notes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Eggs Notes

Beating Egg Whites

You might also like