Egg Handling

The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odors. Storing eggs in the carton helps keep them fresh.

Eggs are placed in their cartons large end up to keep the air cell in place and the yolk centered.

Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator.

Eggs can be kept refrigerated in their carton for at least 4 to 5 weeks beyond the pack date.

A hard-cooked egg will peel more easily if it is a week or two old before it is cooked.

To tell if an egg is raw or hard-cooked, spin it! If the egg spins easily, it is hard-cooked but if it wobbles, it is raw.

A cloudy white is a sign of freshness, not age, because of a high carbon dioxide content put in when the egg is laid.

If an egg is accidentally dropped on the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy clean up.

A greenish ring around a hard-cooked egg yolk is due to either overcooking or a high iron content in the cooking water. This can be avoided using proper cooking time and temperature, and by rapidly cooling the cooked egg.

In cooking, eggs are "the cement that holds the castle of cuisine together." because of their ability to bind, leaven, thicken, emulsify, clarify, and more in all types of recipes.

The egg yolk and white separate best when cold.

Egg whites will beat to a better volume if they're allowed to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before whipping.

The stringy piece of material in the egg is not an embryo but rather a special protein called chalazae which acts as a shock absorber for the yolk so it doesn't break.