Eggs-actly Right!
Storage
- Eggs store better in the carton that they are sold in than in the egg tray in your refrigerator.
- Eggs freeze very well if they are separated. Freeze egg yolks by stirring in either 1 teaspoon sugar for each six egg yolks or ½ teaspoon salt to keep yolks from coagulating. Egg white freezes easily in a bowl or in an ice cube tray. 1 egg cube is approximately 1 egg white.
- If you need eggs at room temperature, but have forgotten to take them out of the refrigerator, put them in slightly warm water for 10 minutes.
- Never wash eggs before storing them. They will spoil much quicker.
Cooking/baking
- Eggshells can be easily removed from hard-boiled eggs if they are boiled in salty water and quickly rinsed in cold water.
- Always beat eggs at room temperature to achieve maximum volume.
- For the most volume, beat egg whites in a copper bowl. Never beat egg whites in aluminum (tinges the eggs grey) or plastic (does not clean well and little particles of fat will keep the eggs from beating well).
- To avoid cracking when hard cooking eggs, place eggs in the pot with warm water and 1 tbsp. of salt, then cook. This is not infallible. If an egg cracks during cooking, add a splash of vinegar to seal it.
- When making an omelet do not add cheese to the batter, add it at the last second before folding to prevent the omelet from sticking to the pan.
Handling
- ‘Fresh eggs’ shells are rough and chalky; old eggs are smooth and shiny.
- To determine if an egg is hard-boiled, spin it. If it spins, it is hard-boiled. If it wobbles, it is raw.
- Your egg slicer is great for slicing mushrooms too.
- Not sure if your eggs are old? If they feel light, jiggle in their shell, and float on top of water – they’re old. If your eggs have been covered (in their original carton is fine) and refrigerated, they will last up to a month. As they age, the whites will loosen, become watery in appearance, and their flavour will fade considerably, but they will still be edible. Older, looser eggs are best scrambled, not fried.
From “Super Tasting Allstar Recipes” from the parents, students and teachers of Langley Fundamental Middle
School, Langley, BC, Canada.
