1. Important Facts About Eggs
Foods 1 Obj Understand Procedures, Equipment, & Cooking Methods in Food Preparation
Important Facts About Eggs

2. Parts of an Egg
Shell: needs to be free of cracks or bacteria can get into the egg
Albumen: white part of the egg. Rich in protein.
Yolk: yellow part of the egg. Contains fat, cholesterol, vitamins A and D.
Chalazae: thick strands that hold the albumen in place in the egg. Looks like an umbilical cord.
Egg Shell
Albumen
Yolk

3. Nutritional Value
They are a nutrient-dense food because
they contain about 75 calories, but are
loaded with nutrients such as:
Protein
Fat and cholesterol
Folate
Vitamin D and A
Do you think that the color of the egg has anything to do with its nutritional value?

4. Characteristics of Fresh/High Quality Eggs
Yolk is high & firm above the white
Small yolk diameter
Yolk is centered in white
High ratio of thick to thin
white
High standing thick white

5. Which is a high quality egg?

6. Purchasing Eggs Grading The best-quality eggs are graded USDA
Grade AA, followed by USDA Grade A.
– The grades sold at
supermarkets.
USDA Grade B, the
lowest grade.
– Available to food service
establishments and not sold
directly to consumers.

7. Egg Sizes
The size of egg that most recipes are based upon is Large.

8. Egg Safety Tips 1. Inspect before buying and discard any broken eggs
2. Refrigerate immediately at or below 40 F
3. Keep in cartons
4. Cook until the whites are coagulated & yolks
begin to thicken to kill the salmonella bacteria
5. Egg dishes should not be kept out >1 hour

9. Functions of Eggs in Cooking
Binding: eggs bind (hold together) ingredients in a recipe. Ex. Meatloaf
Emulsifying: eggs hold together two ingredients that normally would not stay mixed, like oil and vinegar. Ex. Mayonnaise
Providing structure: eggs expand with heat and provide structure to baked goods. Ex. Cooked custard.

10. Preparation of Eggs Dry Heat: Fried Scrambled Omelets Moist heat:
“Boiled” eggs
Coddled eggs
prepared in a cup
Poached eggs
A variety of custards
Eggs that are
prepared using
the microwave

11. How to Beat Egg Whites into a Foam
To successfully beat egg whites to a foam one
has to follow certain guidelines:
a. Separate egg whites from egg yolk correctly: no trace of egg yolk can be present in the egg whites, or they will not foam due to the presence of fat in egg yolks.
b. Only use bowls and utensils made of non-porous material such as metal or glass.
c. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
d. Use cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites and help them come to a richer foam.

12. Soft Peaks or Stiff Peaks?
If the recipe calls for egg whites beaten to soft peaks, whip them until the mixture bend over like waves when you lift the mixer’s beaters up
If the recipe calls for stiff peaks, whip the eggs until the mixture stands up straight when the beaters are lifted from the mixture.
CAUTION: when you add the egg whites foam to the rest of the ingredients, use the “fold” technique or all the air that you incorporated in the foam will go away and your recipe will
come out flat.

13. Volume & Stability Factors of Egg Whites
• Temperature:
– room temperature
• Fat:
– decreases foam
formation
• Sugar:
– increases stability
– delays foam formation
– added at foamy or soft
peak stage
• Acid:
– doesn’t delay foam
formation

14. Meringue Examples

15. Cooking Eggs
Hard Cooked: boil eggs in water. As soon as the water boils remove the pan from the heat source and let stand in the hot water for minutes. Pour the hot water out and replace with cold water. Peel and refrigerate immediately. To avoid the egg yolk turning green, do not overcook them.
REMEMBER: fresh eggs are harder to peel than older eggs.

16. Cooking Eggs, cont…
Poaching: healthy way to cook an egg. Break the egg in simmering water and cook until done.
Frying: break eggs in a greased skillet and fry until the whites are set and the yolk is thick.
Scrambled: beat eggs before pouring them into a hot and greased skillet. Cook and stir until they thicken.
Baked: called shirred eggs. Break eggs and pour them into a ramekin or shallow baking pan. Bake at 325˚F. for about 15 or until thick.
Microwaving: never microwaving eggs in the shell and do not overcook. Pour eggs in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring often.

17. Diagram of an Egg
Draw and label the egg diagram on pg 491 in Food for Today