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Symbolically, the egg stands for the renewal of life. Commercially, the term 'egg'
refers to hen's eggs. Eggs from ducks, geese, quails, ostriches are also sold but they
"Love must
and eggs are best
be labeled when they are
accordingly.
fresh."
Egg is the reproductive body laid by the female encased in a round or oval shell. The
- Russian
egg Proverb
consists of the thick, clear white (albumen), approximately 60% of total weight of
egg, and a yellow yolk, approximately 30% of total weight of egg. The white is 87%
Weightwater
of One
andLarge
10% Egg:
protein. The protein in egg whites coagulate at 150 degrees F (65
degrees C). The yolk consists of 50% water, 16% protein and 32% fat. The protein in
the= yolk
In Shell coagulates at 158 degrees F (70 degrees C).
57 grams

Without Shell = 50 grams

White Eggs,
Only =as30well
gramsas flour, are the structural ingredients in baking. Eggs provide
leavening; add color, texture, flavor and richness to the batter. They are very
important
Yolk Only in helping to bind all the other ingredients together. Beaten eggs are a
= 18 grams
leavening agent as they incorporate air into the batter, which will expand in the oven
and cause the cake to rise. Some cakes use beaten eggs as their only source of
Freshness Test: Place an egg in water
leavening. Eggs are also used as a thickener in custards and creams, and to glaze
mixed with a little salt. If the egg is fresh it
pastries and breads. Egg whites are used to make meringues.
will sink. The quicker or farther it sinks, the
fresher it is. If the egg floats, it has spoiled.
Eggs are inspected and graded according to their freshness and quality. The color of
the eggshell (brown or white) is determined by the breed of hens and they have the
TIP: Cold eggs are easier to separate than
same nutritional content. The color of the yolk is dependent on the hen's diet. The
warm eggs.
grading system established by the USDA is AA, A, and B and refers to the egg's
exterior and interior qualities, not the size of the egg. The egg size ranges from
TIP: For half extra
jumbo, an egg - lightly
large, large,beat one egg,
medium, and small. Grade AA means the egg has a firm
then measure out 1 1/2 tablespoons.
yolk and a thick white, which does not spread. Grade A eggs have round yolks, thick
whites, but have more thin whites than Grade AA. If the egg carton is labeled "fancy
TIP: To achieve
fresh" maximum
this means the volume
eggs are when
less than 10 days old. Always check the carton of
beating eggs,
eggs havebuying
before them at to room
make sure there are no cracked eggs. Eggs must be
temperature.
refrigerated and usually keep one month refrigerated. Eggs shells are porous and
therefore pick up odors easily, so store eggs in their carton away from strong odors
(e.g. Onions).
TIP: Always use large Doeggs
not store eggs at
in recipes room temperature, as eggs will deteriorate more in
where
oneisday
egg size not at room The
given. temperature
size of thethan
eggone week refrigerated.
used will make a difference in the
consistency of the batter
Once cracked, eggsand willultimately
keep in the refrigerator a couple of days if tightly sealed.
affectsLeftover
the outcome of the can
egg whites bakedbe good.
stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 7-
Some10 cookbook
days or authors
frozen for justa assume
month. Athat
good way to freeze egg whites is to place them in
everyone will know
individual to use
plastic ice large
cube eggs
trays.inOnce
theirfrozen, transfer the whites to a plastic freezer
recipes.
bag. To thaw, simply place in refrigerator overnight. After freezing, the whites tend to
be watery and are best used in recipes where the whites are not the sole leavening
agent. Egg Whites:
TIP: Beating

- HaveEggs contain
a clean a yolk
copper and a white
or stainless (albumen).
steel bowl The egg yolk is rich in fat and a source of
vitamins and minerals. A fresh egg yolk will be rich in color and will stand upright with
and beaters.
little spread. Blood spots are not harmful and will disappear with age. Egg yolks add
- Separate eggs when cold and then warm
egg whites to room temperature before
using. Make sure there is no egg yolk in the
egg whites.

- Have cream of tartar and sugar ready (if

tenderness and color to baked goods. Some recipes call for beating egg yolks and
sugar until thick, light, and forms a ribbon. This means beating the yolks and sugar
together until the batter will drop from the beaters in a slow ribbon-like shape (this
takes about five minutes at high speed).

The egg white is mostly protein. To get maximum volume when beating egg whites
they should be at room temperature and make sure your bowl and beaters are clean
and free of grease. Copper is the best type of bowl to use. If whites are over beaten
the protein molecules will lose their elasticity and the whites will become dry and flaky
and won't hold as much air. If this happens, add another white and beat again only
until the whites are creamy and glossy. When adding beaten egg whites to your
batter, always fold the whites into the heavier mixture. Not vice versa. Fold gently and
quickly so as not to deflate the mixture. Add the egg whites in three stages using a
rubber spatula. Cut down and through the batter making sure not to over mix. A few
unmixed parts are fine as the most important thing is not to deflate the egg whites.

It is best to separate eggs when they are cold. Make sure you do not get any yolk in
with the white, as it will reduce the volume of the whites when whipping. When
separating eggs have three bowls ready. Crack the egg in half and let the white drain
into one bowl by transferring the yolk between the two halves of the shell. When
done, put the yolk in the second bowl. When breaking the second egg, use the third
bowl for the new egg white, so if some yolk gets mixed in with the white, you have not
wrecked all your whites. If you do happen to get some egg yolk in with the white,
remove the unwanted yolk by using an empty eggshell. Egg yolks will immediately
start to form a skin after being separated. Cover the yolks with plastic wrap, if you
need to bring them to room temperature before using.

Always use the size egg that is called for in the recipe. If the size is not given, assume
it is large. Most eggs used in baking are at room temperature. A quick way to warm
eggs to room temperature is to place them in warm water for 10 - 15 minutes, or else
leave them out for 30-60 minutes..