While eggs will keep in your refrigerator for several weeks, they can lose some quality. A little known fact about eggs is that they can absorb odors from your refrigerator if stored in an open container (although this shouldn't be a major problem unless you're storing your eggs along side opened containers of onions and garlic or other such strong smelly substances).
Do you need only egg whites or only egg yolks for a particular recipe? Don't throw out the leftovers, find another recipe to cook which will use the other portion). Type in "egg yolk" or egg whites" in our search engine to find recipes that use one or the other.
Once out of the shell, you can keep eggs whites for about a week in the refrigerator and egg yolks will keep for two or three days (although they should be covered with water).
Cold eggs are easier to separate. Gently crack the egg open in the center (either hit it gently with a knife, or use a convenient counter edge). Hold the egg upright and gently pull off the top half of the shell. You now have three options:
- Hold your hand over the egg white bowl, pour the egg into your hand and let
 the egg white ooze through your fingers while retaining the yolk in your hand (this is a very easy, albeit un-elegant, way to separate eggs). Make sure to wash your hands first.
- Over the egg white bowl, gently pour the contents between the two shell halves, allowing the egg whites to pour out in the process, leaving just the yolk in the shell.
- Buy a handy-dandy gadget called an egg
separator, which looks like a small measuring cup. The egg yolk is
retained in the cup while the whites are allowed to drip through.
Egg whites WILL NOT WHIP (they just won't) if they come into contact with even the slightest trace of fat, grease or egg yolk. This is why it's a good idea when separating eggs to have three bowls: one for the yolks, one for the whites and one bowl to separate over so that you won't have to throw out a whole batch if one yolk breaks while separating. It is also a good idea to wash your hands, beaters and bowl before beginning as well, to make sure they are grease free.
Egg whites that are at room temperature will whip easier and faster. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to help the process along (although it is not necessary unless your recipe calls for it. Use an electric mixer for best results, although you can use a whisk if you want a good workout.
 Boiled - Put your eggs in a pot (avoid aluminum as it will darken) and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the pot to a boil over high or medium high heat, then lower the heat and simmer. Depending on the size of your egg, they will need to simmer for 2-3 minutes for soft boiled, about 4-5 minutes for medium and 15-20 minutes for hard boiled. Drain the eggs and immerse them immediately in cold water to stop the cooking process. Refrigerated boiled eggs will keep for about a week.
Fried - Add a small amount of butter or oil to your skillet (non-stick pans will need very little to none of this) and heat. When you can drop a drop of water into the pan and hear it sizzle, it's time to cook the eggs. Carefully crack the eggs into the pan. For sunny side up eggs, allow them to cook for about 3-4 minutes without turning (or until they're done to a consistency you like), before removing them from the pan. If you prefer your eggs turned over, first cook the eggs for about 2 minutes before using your spatula to flip the eggs over. The amount of time the turned eggs are cooked will depend on how you like to eat your eggs.
Scrambled - The cooking procedure for scrambled eggs is the same as for fried. First beat your eggs in a bowl (you can add a tablespoon or so of milk per egg as well as salt, pepper, seasonings etc.). Pour into the skillet and cook while gently stirring until the eggs reach the desired consistency.
Poached - Cover the bottom
of a small pot or skillet with about two inches of water and bring
to a simmer. Break an egg into a small bowl. Stir the water to
create a small whirlpool effect and drop the egg into the center.
Cook for 3-5 minutes before removing the egg with a slotted spoon.
:
Egg Substitute
Homemade
Egg Substitute
Eggs are among
the most nutritious foods on earth and can be part of a healthy
diet. However, they are perishable just like raw meat, poultry,
and fish. Today some unbroken, clean, fresh shell eggs may contain
Salmonella enteritidis bacteria that can cause food borne illness.
While the number of eggs affected is quite small, there have
been cases of food borne illness in the last few years. To be
safe, eggs must be properly handled, refrigerated, and cooked.
No one should
eat foods containing raw eggs. This includes "health food"
milk shakes made with raw eggs, Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce,
and any other foods like homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, or eggnog
made from recipes in which the egg ingredients are not cooked.
To make a recipe
safe that specifies using eggs that aren't cooked, heat the eggs
in a liquid from the recipe over low heat, stirring constantly,
until the mixture reaches 160 °F. Then combine it with the
other ingredients and complete the recipe.
What is
a good substitute for eggs?
Ener-G Egg
Replacer - follow directions on box.
2 tbsp corn starch = 1 egg
2 tbsp arrowroot flour = 1 egg
2 tbsp potato starch = 1 egg
1 heaping tbsp soy powder + 2 tbsp water = 1 egg
1 tbsp soy milk powder + 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water = 1
egg.
1 banana = 1 egg in cakes.
Homemade
egg substitute recipe
Homemade egg
substitutes are less expensive and just as satisfactory. They
also have few calories. Here's a low cholesterol egg substitute
recipe:
1 tablespoon
of nonfat dry milk powder
2 egg whites from large eggs
4 drops of yellow food color
Sprinkle powdered
milk over egg whites, then beat them with fork until smooth.
Add food color, and beat until blended. This makes 1/4 cup, which
is equal to 1 large egg. If you use this homemade substitute
for scrambled eggs, cook it in vegetable oil or margarine so
the eggs won't be too dry.
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