Fresh Eggs Handy Cooking Hints

Fresh Eggs

catwoman 17 years ago

The freshness of eggs can be tested by placing them in a large bowl of cold water, if they float do not use them.

Flag
chefjeb 17 years ago said:

Look at the carton. Eggs from a USDA inspected plant have a use-by date. Eggs should be stored in a refrigerator in the coldest part, not in the door, which is warmer. Most commercially produced eggs reach supermarkets within a few days of leaving the laying house .As eggs age, appearance is about all that is affected; nutritional value and cooking properties remain relatively unaffected . Eggs properly stored should last up to a month. Salmonella is a big concern today. Mutations have resulted in Salmonella inside the shell of some eggs, so undercooked or no cook recipes should avoid shell eggs and substitute pasterurized product. This includes meringues, some custards, sauces, ice cream mixes, etc. And even eggs over easy. Eggs should be cooked to 145 and you can do this with our eyes. An egg white that is completely opaque and no runny white is completely cooked. An egg yoke that is solid is also cooked.

Flag
dee 17 years ago said:

Over here in England I find it really helpful that each and every egg (that is store bought, but not if you buy them from a farmer) is date stamped for freshness.... comes in handy if one doesn't keep the eggs in the box. BUT eggs are not found in the refrigerated section as in the states, they are just sitting out on pallets or on shelves in their little eggy boxes. That still seems a bit... weird to me, but then it's really just something different then what I know from the states. AND I have yet to see white chicken eggs over here... so for Easter, colouring brown eggs, well, let's just say they are not so pretty. I have used duck eggs before and they worked very well, and a bit larger the the ol' chick chick eggs too.

Flag
dancegypsy67 17 years ago said:

I've heard that many places outside of the US sell eggs which are not in refrigerated cases.

Flag
lipsantos 17 years ago said:

It's true here in Brazil, too. Eggs and milk are not sold refrigerated, but both have dates on the packages. Eggs are dated for 3 weeks and milk for 3 months. Of course, I refrigerate the eggs as soon as I get them and each milk carton as soon as it's opened. We can get either brown or white eggs, but the brown ones are a few cents cheaper.

Flag
trigger 17 years ago said:

I check the date and purchase only what I need for a week.

Flag
blombo 16 years ago said:

I like hard boiled eggs. If they are too fresh the shell will not come off very easily. I know it sounds on the weird side, but I keep extra eggs around to insure I have 'older' eggs to boil.

Flag