Cooking Hints and Tips   
       Eggs       

                                                       

When you open a carton of eggs, you'll notice a difference in the sizes of the eggs. Cartons are put together by total weight, not individual egg size. As long as the dozen fulfills the weight requirement, each egg most likely will be a different size.
The total weight of a dozen eggs:
peewee: 15 ounces
small: 18 ounces
medium: 21 ounces
large: 24 ounces
extra-large: 27 ounces
jumbo: 30 ounces.

Contents of different sized eggs:
extra-large: 4 tablespoons (2 2/3 tablespoons white and 11/3 tablespoons yolk)
large: 3 1/4 tablespoons (2 1/4 tablespoons white, 1 rounded tablespoon yolk)
medium: 3 tablespoons (2 tablespoons white, 1 tablespoon yolk)

If a recipe calls for:
One large egg:
use any size single egg.
Two large eggs:
use two of any size but small; then use three.
Three large eggs:
use two jumbo, three extra-large or medium or four small.
Four large eggs:
use three jumbo, four extra-large or five medium or small.
Five large eggs:
use four jumbo or extra-large, six medium or seven small.
Six large eggs:
use five jumbo or extra-large, seven medium or eight small.
For 1 cup of eggs:
use four jumbo or extra-large eggs, five large or medium eggs or six small.
Tips for a Perfect Omelet
  1. Use a Teflon-coated or non-stick 8" skillet for perfect results.
  2. Heat pan gradually before adding the butter.
  3. Have butter sizzling hot, but NOT BROWN, before adding eggs.
  4. Stir eggs quickly (as for scrambled eggs) with a fork, about 30 seconds or once around the pan. Then, let set -- just until top is beginning to look unshiny.
  5. Fold the omelet the correct and easy way! Hold the pan in your left hand. Flip the edge nearest the handle into center. Flip again so an omelet rolled into thirds arrives at the farthest edge of the skillet. Tilt omelet onto platter.
  6. In Step 4, use your own taste and imagination in adding herbs, mushrooms, ham, cheese, etc. to the omelet.
For Breads:
Eggs add nutrition and color, provide volume and bind ingredients together.
Use large eggs in recipes unless another size is specified.
Used in large quantities, eggs will color dough yellow.
Egg products can replace whole eggs in many recipes.
For fluffier omelets, add a pinch of cornstarch before beating.

If you plan to beat egg whites, separate the whites from the yolks about a half hour before you plan to use them. Eggs separate easier when cold but bringing the whites to room temperature will help them whip up to greater volume.

The safest method of separating eggs is to use three bowls: one for the white of the egg you are currently breaking, one for the yolks and a third for collecting the egg whites.

Even the tiniest bit of yolk, or any fat, mixed with the whites will lessen the volume and perceptibly alter the texture.

If you get some yolk into your whites, try removing it by inserting the corner of a paper towel moistened with cold water into the whites and try to get the yolk to stick to it.

If cold eggs are added to a creamed fat and sugar base, they can curdle the batter, affecting the texture.

USDA classifications of eggs refer only to size and appearance, not the quality of the eggs. The three classifications are Grade AA, Grade A, and Grade B.

Egg size is based on a minimum weight in ounces of a dozen eggs. A dozen large eggs weigh 24 ounces and a dozen jumbo eggs weigh 30 ounces, while a dozen small eggs weigh 18 ounces. Most recipes are designed for large eggs, so for best results in home cooking stick to large eggs, particularly in baking.

Add a little salt or vinegar to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.

When adding egg yolks to a hot mixture such as for pudding, first whisk a little of the hot mixture into the yolks to 'temper' them, then add that mixture to the pot or pan.

Custards and similar delicate egg dishes need to be baked in a water bath. Be sure the pan with the custard is sufficiently smaller than the pan holding the water. Place everything on the oven shelf, then pour the nearly boiling water into the outer pan before carefully sliding the shelf back in. Remove fully cooked custards immediately from the water bath for cooling or they may overcook.

Keep yolks in center of eggs by gently stirring water while cooking hard boiled eggs. Makes beautiful deviled eggs.

Refrigerate eggs in their original carton. Don't wash them; they contain a natural film that protects against spoilage. Use fresh eggs within five weeks of purchase.

To refrigerate egg yolks, cover with cold water and refrigerate tightly covered.

The surfaces of all plastic utensils retain grease, so don't try to whip egg whites in a plastic bowl.

Eggs are easiest to separate when cold. Do not pass the yolks back and forth from shell half to shell half to separate. Bacteria may be present in the pores of the shell, contaminating the yolk or white.

Nutritionally, brown eggs are the same as white eggs, although they are often more expensive. The color of the shell is determined by the breed of the hen.

When egg whites are to be folded into another mixture, they are beaten to soft peaks only, as this softer consistency will allow them to be folded into a stiffer mixture without deflating and releasing the air that had been carefully beaten in.

A tablespoon of vinegar added to water before poaching eggs helps keep the whites from spreading.

To peel hard-cooked eggs, crack them by tapping them gently in two or three places and place them in a pan of cold water.

The American Egg Board says that fresh eggs can be hard to peel when hard-boiled. If you cook eggs that have been stored for a week to 10 days, peeling will be easier.

The American Egg Board suggests that you cool hard-cooked eggs immediately after cooking. Place them in ice water or under cold running water. For easiest peeling, roll the eggs on a flat surface to crack the surface, and then roll the egg between your hands to loosen the shell. Start peeling from the large end.

Purchase clean, fresh eggs from a refrigerated display case. At home, refrigerate eggs immediately, discarding any with cracked shells.

To slightly beat eggs, use a wire whisk or fork and mix whole eggs to break yolks and just barely combine yolks and whites. Use this method for recipes that call for slightly beaten eggs.

To beat eggs, use a wire whisk and mix eggs vigorously to combine yolks and whites thoroughly. Mixture will be light and frothy. Use this method for all recipes that call for beaten or well beaten eggs.

To beat egg whites to stiff peaks, use an electric mixer on highest speed and beat egg whites in bowl until stiff peaks form. To check the stiff peak stage, turn off mixer and lift beaten egg whites with spoon. Peaks will stand up and hold their shape. They will appear dense and firm.

To beat egg whites to soft peaks, use an electric mixer on highest speed and beat egg whites in bowl until soft peaks form. To check the soft peak stage, turn off mixer and lift beaten egg whites with spoon. Peaks will bend over. They will appear light and airy.

For recipes that call for room temperature eggs, bring the eggs to room temperature quickly (without cooking it in the process) by dunking them in lukewarm water for 5 minutes.

To chop a hard-boiled egg, use a small knife and cut the cooled, hard-boiled egg into thin slices. Next cut each slice crosswise in both directions several times.

To chop hard boiled eggs: Press egg through a wire egg slicer, turn egg one half turn and press through the egg slicer again. The result will be perfect little cubes of boiled egg.

To quick-poach eggs bring 1/2 cup water to boil in skillet on medium heat. Break eggs, one at a time, into a cup. Gently slip egg into water; cover. Cook 2 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.

To easily slice deviled eggs, dip your knife into warm water first. This will produce a smooth slice with no egg stuck to the knife.

If you are uncertain whether the eggs in your refrigerator are fresh or not, try this simple test: Place an egg in a bowl of water. If it sinks it is fresh, if it floats it is an old egg and should be discarded.

If you are uncertain whether the eggs in your refrigerator are fresh or hard boiled, try this simple test: Place an egg on the counter and spin it. If it wobbles as it spins it is fresh, if it spins smoothly it is hard boiled.

"Perfect" Hard Boiled Eggs:
Place the eggs in a heavy pot, cover with cold water at least 3 inches above the eggs and add salt over top the eggs. Don't skimp on the salt you will throw it away with the shells, but it is the salt that makes the eggs turn out right!! Now, bring to a rolling boil, cover, turn the heat off and wait 22 minutes, now put the pan in the sink and run cold water in it until the water is cold....wait about 5 min or so until the water gets warm & do it again unil the water stays cold. break the eggs on the counter on each side & roll it between your hands to loosen the shell. The shell will come right off!
13 minutes to perfectly boiled eggs. Cover eggs with water and boil rapidly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with a tight fitting lid for 11 minutes. No more greenish looking hard boiled eggs!

To keep eggs from cracking while boiling, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the water before boiling them.

Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before hard boiling, and the egg will peel with ease! And hold that needle in place with a magnetic refrigerator clip!

Fresh eggs are rough and chalky . They will sink and stay horizontal on the bottom of a glass of water. The egg white is viscous and close around the plump yolk. The egg white is runnier in an egg approx. 7 days old. They will stand upright about midway in a glass of water. Old eggs are smooth and shiny. They will float in a glass of water. The egg white is watery and the yolk is flat in an egg roughly 3 weeks old.

Egg whites can be frozen for up to one year. They can be refrozen after defrosting also.

Need to clean up a broken egg? Cover generously with salt. Allow to set for 5 minutes and scrape up with a spatula.

Perfect Poached Eggs
PREP AND COOK TIME: Approximately 25 minutes
NOTES: Heating the eggs in the shell first keeps them from sticking together as they poach. You can serve the eggs as soon as they're cooked, but they're easier to manage if you poach them even a few minutes ahead, then reheat.
  1. Put about 3 inches water in a 5- to 6-quart pan; bring to a boil over high heat. With a slotted spoon, quickly and gently immerse 12 large eggs in the shell, 1 at a time, in water for 8 seconds; lift out.
  2. Pour out all but 1 inch water from the pan; reduce heat so bubbles on the pan bottom pop to the surface only occasionally. Crack eggs 1 at a time, holding each shell close to the water surface as you break it open to let egg slide gently into water. If necessary, cook half the eggs at a time to keep from crowding. Cook to desired doneness (poke gently with a spoon to check), 3 to 4 minutes for soft-cooked eggs.
  3. With slotted spoon, lift eggs 1 at a time from water and immediately immerse in a bowl of cold water. If making up to 2 days ahead, wrap bowl airtight and chill.
  4. To reheat eggs, immerse in hot (about 120°) water until warm to touch, 5 to 10 minutes. Lift out with slotted spoon.

Fluffy Scrambled Egg Tip:
For those of you who enjoy your eggs scrambled this is an excellent way to make the best, fluffiest scrambled eggs ever. After you beat your eggs with a bit of milk, add 1 teaspoon of seven-up. You will be amazed at the results.

Quail's eggs are the smallest of all commercial eggs. They are only about 1/3 of the size of hen's eggs and are available in delicatessens and specialty shops, some supermarkets, and places like Oriental groceries.

Quail's eggs have dark-speckled, pale shells and make an attractive garnish to a dish when hard -boiled (hard-cooked) and served in the half shell.

Shelled quail's eggs are excellent for starter courses and appetizers. As long as they have not been overcooked by boiling too hard, quail's eggs have a delicate, light, almost creamy texture and flavor. They can be cooked in much the same way as hen's eggs.

                                                       

! Disclaimer !

Return to Cooking Hints Index Page