The egg stands alone as a food item that has all the nutrients from which a new life can develop. Nutritionists and chefs use this rich, tasty, complete protein in myriad recipes where it plays so many roles that it is often undiscernable. We will look at its characteristics, as well as basic cooking, storing and purchasing suggestions.
The white of a truly “fresh” egg will be slightly cloudy and the cords at each end very prominent. It contains half of the protein while the yolk contains the other half. The yolk supplies all of the fat, the emulsifier lecithin and most of the minerals and vitamins.
There are some ways to check the freshness of an egg. If it floats when placed in a bowl of cold water it has dried up and is not desirable. The yolk of an egg broken into a small shallow dish should “dome up” indicating that it has the support of a properly hydrated white. Appropriate storage is said to be more important to maintaining freshness than age or brand name. If eggs are properly refrigerated, from the chicken to your table, they will be of good quality. The American Egg Board recommends that eggs be kept in their original protective container and stored in a section of your refrigerator that remains at 40 degrees. This is most often the interior top shelf and not the door where many egg trays are placed.
There is a label stamped on the carton that will help you determine fitness when purchasing commercial eggs, assuming they have been consistently stored at 40 degrees. It is the sell-by date or the legal length of time during which a particular container of eggs must be sold. This date should be within thirty days of packing. The glitch is that the eggs can legally be stored up to thirty days before packing. That means they may be two months old by the time they reach your home. The color of the shell is determined by the breed of the chicken and unlike freshness has no effect on flavor. However, the grades assigned to eggs are very meaningful. The ones with the thickest whites and shells are labeled AA and the quality goes down from there. Thick whites translate to moistness and the thick shell keeps that moisture in. Commercial eggs are coated with a thin waxy substance that should not be washed off because it prevents other flavors and bacteria from entering. For these reasons and the danger of salmonella you should NEVER use a cracked or nasty smelling egg.
The size of an egg can range from peewee to jumbo and is determined by the size of the chicken that laid it. Quality is not effected by size but the quantity of the egg mass is. The chart of approximate egg weights will help when substituting one size for another.
Cooking eggs to perfection requires some “know how” because the recommended temperatures and techniques vary. The hard-boiled version tastes best when the eggs are covered with water and brought to a boil over high heat. They are then covered and removed from the burner to steep for ten minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice water bath for five minutes. The result is a tender, creamy egg that has no green encircling the yolk. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar to the boiling water and you will have eggs that are easy to identify as hard cooked. Fried eggs are best prepared over a low temperature and the scrambled variety over high heat (see recipes). Eggs do stand alone as a complete food and outstanding ingredient. The egg pictured here was allowed to come to room temperature before balancing it on its wider end. I have read that this only works during the equinox, so you had better hurry if you want to try it. Contact me with your “eggcellent” comments and questions through my Website at herbbasket.net or my NEW E-mail address eamherb@sbcglobal.net.