Serves: 5

Eggs are powerful package of nutrition and versatility. Packed inside each egg is lots of protein, vitamins and minerals, some fat and cholesterol, not much sodium and only 80 calories. In cooking, 1 or 2 incredible eggs give structure, create lightness, add richness and texture, and bind other ingredients together. On top of that, they’re just plain tasty, whether eaten hard-cooked with a little salt and pepper or as part of an airy soufflé.

Chicken eggs are most commonly used in American cooking other cuisines include the eggs of ducks, geese, quail and other poultry.

The egg white contains water and about half the egg’s protein the yolk contains the rest of the protein and all of the fat, cholesterol, vitamins and minerals and most of the calories. People at risk for heart disease may want to limit the number of whole eggs they eat. As a general guide for cooking, use 2 egg whites in place of 1 whole egg.

Buying Eggs

Eggs are marketed according to size, grade and color. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sets size and grade standards.

Size: The most popular egg size is large sizes range from jumbo to peewee. We tested the recipes in this cookbook with large eggs.

Grade: The grade is based on an egg’s quality, both inside and out. The three grades are AA, A and B. There’s little difference in quality between Grades AA and A, and the nutrition content is the same for all three grades. Almost no Grade B eggs find their way to the supermarket. High-grade eggs have thick whites, compact and rounded yolks and a small air pocket. As eggs get older, the white gradually thins and the yolk flattens.

Color: Eggshell colors (white or brown) and yolk colors (pale or deep yellow) vary with the breed and diet of the hen. White eggs are most in demand, but brown are preferred in some parts of the country brown eggs tend to be more expensive. Flavor, nutrition content and cooking performance are the same for white and brown eggs.

Handling and Storing Eggs Safely

Recently, raw eggs contaminated with salmonella have caused some outbreaks of illness. How eggs become contaminated is unclear, but scientists are working to find a solution to the problem. By storing, handling and cooking eggs safely, you can prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.

Buy eggs only from the refrigerated case, and put them in the refrigerator (at a temperature no higher than 40°) as soon as you get home. You don’t need to wash eggs before storing or using because washing is a routine part of commercial egg processing.

Look for eggs that are clean and not cracked. Before buying them, open the carton and gently move each egg to be sure it hasn’t cracked and stuck to the carton. If an egg cracks on the way home, throw it away.

Although you may have an egg storage area on the door of your refrigerator, it’s best to keep eggs in their carton on a shelf to be sure they stay good and cold. If desired, store eggs with the large end up to keep the yolk centered for more attractive hard- and soft-cooked eggs.

Wash your hands, utensils, equipment and work area with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with raw eggs and dishes where eggs are the main ingredient, such as quiches and baked custards.

Handle colored hard-cooked eggs carefully if you plan to eat them after using them as decoration, in children’s baskets or for egg hunts. Follow these guidelines:
-If eggs won’t be colored right after cooking them, store them in their egg cartons in the refrigerator.

-Wash hands thoroughly before cooking and each handling step, such as cooling, dyeing, arranging, hiding and regathering them.

-Don’t use or color cracked raw eggs.

-Use only food color or specially made food-grade dyes for eggs.

-If not using colored eggs for decoration, baskets or egg hunts right after they’ve been colored, store them in their egg cartons in the refrigerator until ready to use.

-Eggs cannot be out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours without the risk of food poisoning. If you plan on using eggs for decoration that will be out of the refrigerator longer than 2 hours or for several days, just cook and refrigerate extra eggs for eating and throw out the ones used for decoration.

-When hiding eggs, avoid areas where they may come in contact with pets, wild animals, birds, insects and lawn chemicals. Once the eggs are found, refrigerate them right away.

Egg whites may stand safely at room temperature for up to 30 minutes. Egg whites at room temperature will beat up fluffier for recipes such as meringue.

Refrigerate raw eggs and cooked eggs. Uncooked eggs in the shell will keep up to 5 weeks when properly stored (check the carton for an expiration date) hard-cooked eggs in the shell will keep up to 1 week. Store leftover raw egg whites in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Unbroken egg yolks store best when covered with a small amount of water in a tightly covered container store up to 2 days.

You can freeze eggs, too, but not in the shell. One way is to freeze raw egg whites in a plastic ice-cube tray once they’re frozen, transfer them to a plastic freezer bag for storage. Thaw frozen egg whites in the refrigerator. When you use them, note that 2 tablespoons thawed egg white is equal to 1 fresh egg white.

Eggs yolks require some special treatment before freezing. If using the yolks in savory dishes such as scrambled eggs, add 1/8 teaspoon salt for each 1/4 cup of egg yolks (about 4 yolks). If using the yolks in sweet dishes such as custards, add 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar or 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup for each 1/4 cup of egg yolks. Be sure to label them with the number of egg yolks and whether you’ve added salt or sugar.

Freezing hard-cooked eggs is only half-successful: the yolks freeze well, the whites become tough and watery.

Note: For more information on handling eggs safely, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555 in Washington, D.C., call 202-720-3333 TTY 1-800-256-7072. Recorded information is available 24 hours to speak to a specialist, call Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. eastern standard time. Or check out the USDA’s food safety Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov.

Cooking Eggs

Avoid eating raw eggs and foods containing raw eggs. This includes favorite homemade foods such as ice cream, eggnog and mayonnaise, unless the recipes call for cooking the eggs. Commercial versions of these foods are safe to eat because they contain pasteurized eggs pasteurization destroys salmonella bacteria.

For 1 cup of raw egg, you need 5 large eggs, 7 large whites or 14 yolks.

Cook eggs over medium to low heat, except for omelets, which can handle medium heat. If the heat is too high and the eggs are overcooked, the whites will shrink and become tough and rubbery the yolks become tough, and their surface may turn green.

Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm, not runny, to kill any bacteria.

When you’re making egg dishes such as Cheesy Vegetable Strata or Quiche Lorraine, don’t let the dishes stand at room temperature before baking.

Serve cooked eggs and dishes containing eggs immediately. Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible, and use them within 2 days.

After taking egg-rich desserts such as cream or custard pies and cheesecakes out of the oven, let them stand at room temperature for no more than 6 hours before chilling in the refrigerator.

If you’re making a "do-ahead" recipe with eggs, refrigerate the unbaked mixture no longer than 24 hours before baking.

Determining Egg Doneness

Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm, not runny. An egg is cooked when it reaches 160°. Timings and doneness tests for our recipes reflect this requirement.

Eggs Cooking Chart

Eggs need to be cooked until the whites and yolks are firm, not runny, to eliminate the food safety issue of contracting salmonella from eating raw or undercooked eggs.

Type Other Ingredients Directions Success Tips

Soft-Cooked Not recommended, see note above.

Hard-Cooked Cold water at least Heat to boiling in saucepan remove If shell is hard to peel, hold egg
1 inch above egg(s) from heat. Cover and let stand 18 min- in cold water while peeling.
utes. Immediately cool briefly in cold
water to prevent further cooking. Tap
egg to crack shell roll egg between
hands to loosen shell, then peel.

Poached 1 1/2 to 2 inches Heat water to boiling in skillet or sauce- - Hold cup or saucer close to
water pan reduce to simmering. Break each surface of water for best
egg into custard cup or saucer. Carefully shape and to avoid splashing.
slip egg into water. Cook about 5 min- - Use a large enough pan so
utes or until whites and yolks are firm eggs do not touch while
not runny. Remove with slotted spoon. cooking.
- Substitute chicken or beef-
broth for the water if desired.

Fried Butter, margarine Melt enough butter in heavy skillet over Lighter Fried Eggs: Use a non-
or bacon fat over medium heat until 1/8 inch deep stick skillet spray skillet with
and hot. Break each egg into custard cooking spray. Cook eggs over
cup or saucer. Carefully slip egg into low heat about 1 minute or
skillet. Immediately reduce heat to low. until edges turn white. Add 2
Cook 5 to 7 minutes, spooning butter teaspoons water for each
over eggs, until whites are set a film egg. Cover and cook about 5
forms over top and whites and yolks minutes longer or until a film
are firm, not runny. forms over top and whites and
yolks are firm, not runny.

Baked (Shirred) Butter or margarine, Heat oven to 325°. Grease custard Instead of dotting with butter,
softened cups with butter. Carefully break 1 sprinkle egg with 1 tablespoon
egg into each cup. Sprinkle with salt shredded Cheddar or grated
and pepper. Top each with 1 table- Parmesan cheese if desired.
spoon milk or half-and-half. Dot with
butter. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until
whites and yolks are firm, not runny.


From "Betty Crocker's Complete Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 9th Edition." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

More Recipes from the Betty Crocker's Cookbook, 9th Edition Cookbook:
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CREATING A CHEESE TRAY
Cheese Fondue
Cheesy Vegetable Strata
Chilies Rellenos Bake
Classic Cheese Soufflé
Deviled Eggs
EGG BASICS
Eggs Benedict
French Omelet
Fresh Spinach and New
Huevos Rancheros
Impossibly Easy Ham and
LEARN WITH BETTY--SCRAMBLE EGGS
Puffy Omelet
Santa Fe Brunch Bake
Sausage and Egg Breakfast Pizza
Savory Italian Frittata
Scrambled Eggs
Southwestern Egg Bake