Eggs: Difference between revisions
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==On refrigerating eggs== | |||
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Americans tend to store eggs in the fridge. | |||
Europeans are not as eager to. | |||
What's with that? | |||
{{comment|(side note: The below is more about what industry has settled on, not least because it's easier to explain to consumers. There are further methods of preserving eggs - some of which you may care for if you actually keep chickens.)}} | |||
'''Salmonella background''' | |||
The reasoning is mostly related to salmonella. | |||
While salmonella doesn't pop up a lot, safety measures have to assume it will. | |||
There's a few distinct import factoids: | |||
An egg can | |||
: contain salmonella if the hen is infected, | |||
: contain salmonella (or other bacteria) if ''after'' being laid can and has penetrated the eggshell | |||
: have salmonella (or other bacteria) sit on the surface, without also being inside. | |||
Eggs have their own protection | |||
: the cuticle (a layer around the actual shell) slow most bacteria a lot | |||
: the egg white itself slows bacteria for a few weeks | |||
When contaminated with bacteria like salmonella, | |||
: storing eggs below 4°C (40°F) slows growth of bacteria/salmonella. More pronounced in the lower temperatures of the freezer, but that comes with more footnotes. | |||
: cooking eggs to at least 70°C (160°F) kills any bacteria present. | |||
At a country scale, unless you are dealing with salmonella in some way or other, | |||
you ''will'' have the occasional outbreak. | |||
There are a few different viable ways to control salmonella - and the measures of some barely overlap with others. | |||
'''Supply regulations''' | |||
In the US, Australia, Japan, and some other countries, the outside of eggs are sterilized. | |||
This removes salmonella on the outside, | |||
but that washing also thins the protective cuticle (a layer on top of the actual shell). | |||
So while this treatment makes it almost certain the egg is fine ''now'', | |||
it spoils somewhat more easily ''after'' this treatment - the thinner cuticle means bacteria (salmonella or other) will more easily enter the egg. | |||
Which isn't much of an issue if you refrigerate them, because that slows both bacteria entering, and their growth once they're there. | |||
Most European countries addressed the same issue by increasing sanitary requirements, | |||
and in particular vaccinating hens against salmonella, | |||
making salmonella outbreaks rarer to start with. | |||
Eggs are also washed, but not thoroughly disinfected, | |||
because if salmonella is unlikely in the hen, there won't be any in or on the egg, | |||
and keeping the cuticle intact means the eggs keep better, also outside the fridge. | |||
(it in fact seems illegal in most (but not all) of the EU to disinfect eggs{{verify}}, | |||
presumably because the storage habits around there would make this ''riskier'' without your knowledge) | |||
'''In or out of fridge''' | |||
US eggs inside the fridge are probably good for 1..3 weeks. | |||
US eggs outside the fridge ''might'' go bad faster. | |||
In the absolute worst case this happens within hours, | |||
but typically they last ''much'' longer than that. | |||
EU eggs outside the fridge might be good for 1..3 weeks. | |||
...and ''maybe'' 4..5 weeks inside the fridge, but that's not certain, | |||
and people ''really'' don't like crossing the best-by date, | |||
which you should assume is the 'if kept outside' date. | |||
There also seem to be a few countries (including EU countries) that do something inbetween - they do wash, | |||
also ''recommend'' to refrigerate, | |||
yet seemingly put in a conservative best-by date that is the 'if kept outside' date. | |||
From a quick poll, it seems pretty much all americans put eggs in the fridge. | |||
A good chunk of europeans do so too, with some patterns per country. | |||
'''More storage notes''' | |||
Moving a cold egg quickly into a warmer environment means condensation, | |||
and condensation makes it slightly easier for bacteria to grow on eggs treated ''any'' way. Which on US eggs also means penetration. | |||
So with the US's treatment, it's best to only take eggs out of the fridge when you will actually use them. | |||
Not a huge deal if you don't, but it's a good habit to have. | |||
Condensation related bacteria is less pronounced in the EU treatment. | |||
Note that if you keep them outside, then it's still ''useful'' to store them at a temperature below room temperature, but ''not'' refrigerated. | |||
Supermarkets do this so that condensation on the trip home is much less likely. | |||
For related reasons, the fridge door is technically not the best place unless there's also a cover, because this is a place with some of the largest air-temperature fluctuation, and thereby more condensation. | |||
'''Bottom line''' | |||
Your country's way works, don't worry about it. | |||
The net result is mainly just that living in a different country means you have a slightly different feel for how often you need to go to the store for eggs. | |||
A few recipes, apparently largely those with high fat content, | |||
do unusual things to texture if colder than room temperature. | |||
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==Floating eggs== | |||
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Put egg in cold water | |||
: | : if it lies flat, it's probably good. | ||
: if it stands up it's probably still good to eat | |||
: | : if it floats, assume it's bad | ||
: | |||
The idea behind this test is that once the egg starts decomposing it produces gas. | |||
It's not so much that there is more gas, it's that when that gas escapes, it lowers the density (less mass, same volume). | |||
Because the density is very close to that of water, far enough down the process eggs will float. | |||
' | It's a good test for how simple it is, | ||
but there are some variables that make it less that sure-fire. | |||
* difference in density of the water is a thing | |||
** there is a small difference with temperature - the test is better to do in cold water than in room temperature or hot water | |||
** all eggs will float in salt water | |||
* the precise density of eggs varies a little to start with. Some will float further down the process than others. | |||
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==How to cook an egg== | |||
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Everyone has their method. It works, but most of it's copied rather than reasoned. | |||
I wanted to know :) | |||
An egg solidifies when exposed to over 63 degrees Celsius (145 farenheit). | |||
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===Boiled=== | |||
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As in, don't break it, and peel it afterwards. | |||
' | Heat diffuses from outside to inside, so the white will solidify before the yolk. | ||
If you want the yolk to be runny, then basically you're done when that edge | |||
The time it will need depends on | |||
* size | |||
: let's say all our eggs are medium, and particularly large or small would remove or add a minute. | |||
* starting temperature | |||
: let's say room temperature, and that from-the-fridge adds a minute (actually less) | |||
Then: | |||
* soft-boiled (runny yolk) takes ~3-4 minutes | |||
* hard-boiled (solid yolk) takes ~7 minutes (though people are often happy a little earlier) | |||
. | People typically add eggs to already-boiling water. | ||
For a good part that gives times more meaning, because otherwise you have to consider ''how fast'' you heated the water. | |||
Putting it in cold water is probably more energy-efficient. | |||
As is turning off the heat once it boils and assuming it'll stay above 63 for a while -- this makes the timing a little more complex but you can assume it takes 10 minutes longer. | |||
The gray-green yolk edge comes from cooking an egg very fast, and/or leaving it on longer than necessary. | |||
More specifically, it happens when the yolk temperature rises above 70 degrees Celcius. | |||
It's harmless, but people don't like the look. | |||
See also: | |||
* http://newton.ex.ac.uk/teaching/CDHW/egg/ | |||
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====Peeling==== | |||
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It's common to dump eggs in cold water, roughly until you can handle them. | |||
Note that peeling new eggs is always trickier than old eggs. | |||
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===Poached=== | |||
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Paching and egg means cooking it outside the shell (poaching = cooking via hot liquid), rather than e.g. boiling it. | |||
You probably want that water to be still, | |||
or you will get a suspension of lots of small parts of egg in water. | |||
There are various ways of doing this. | |||
Dump into recently boilded water - and enough of it so that the heat capacity means | |||
it won't drop below 63 before it's done | |||
Bain marie | |||
Note that dumping it into water that is initially but which gets no further heat | |||
will quickly stop doing anything, as the temperature drops below | |||
The 63-degree egg refers to an egg poached in 63-degree water for up to an hour or so. | |||
The | The motivation seems to be is to have the white and yolk have the same consistency, | ||
http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a18290/secret-to-poaching-perfect-egg-15008435/ | |||
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===Unsorted=== | |||
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http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/10/sous-vide-101-all-about-eggs.html | |||
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[[Category:Cooking]] | [[Category:Cooking]] |
Latest revision as of 16:29, 20 April 2024