EGGS

To hard cook eggs, place eggs in enough COLD water to cover completely, bring to a ROLLING boil over HIGH heat; then turn off  heat for an additional 12 minutes. Check doneness of one egg. If still soft, continue holding in hot water 2-3 minutes more. Promptly chill eggs in ICE WATER to chill, and so egg yolks remain nice and bright yellow. Avert the green ring reaction by cooking gently, not boiling or over cooking. Hard cooked (not boiled) eggs are good for one week in the refrigerator, if kept in the shell, not in water and free from cracks. Eggs that have reached their use-by date can extend the keeping for seven more days if hard cooked and kept refrigerated.

Having a hard time peeling the eggs? Extremely fresh eggs will not peel easily. In fact, an egg that is just a day or two old is almost impossible to peel. As eggs age, the shells will peel more easily. It is advisable that eggs used for hard cooking (including Easter Eggs) be at least 2 weeks old before cooking for easier peeling.

How long to keep eggs? Eggs can be kept refrigerated in their carton for at least 4 to 5 weeks beyond the pack date, Use-by dates are set 45 days from the time they are placed into cartons. Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator. A cloudy white is a sign of freshness, not age, because of high carbon dioxide content when the egg is laid. A fresh egg will sink in water while an older egg will stand up; as the egg gets older the air space in the egg increases causing it to float.

Nutrition: Eggs contain high quality protein at a low price. Egg protein has the perfect mix of essential amino acids needed by humans to build tissues. In addition, eggs have thirteen essential vitamins and minerals: the egg yolk is one of the few foods that contain Vitamin D; egg yolk is the major source of the egg’s vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A, E, B6, and folate which are often deficient in certain groups; and minerals including iron, magnesium, calcium and copper; a large egg contains only 75 calories and 5 grams of fat. Except for the absence of vitamin C, eggs could be considered the most perfect food.

Separating white from yolk is best when the egg is cold. Egg whites will beat to a better volume if they’re allowed to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before beating. The copper lined bowl is excellent for beating egg whites as it encourages volume.