and excessive moisture loss. In the United States, USDA-
stamped eggs are all washed prior to packaging, a step that
removes the cuticle. It may mean that our packaged eggs are
cleaner to begin with, but it does mean that they have less
protection against future bacterial infection as they sit in the
supermarket—refrigeration is necessary to help prevent this.
But many eggs sold at farmers’ markets or in European
supermarkets have not been washed prior to packing. The
cuticle remains intact, so refrigeration is unnecessary, but
the eggs tend to have a shorter shelf life than refrigerated
eggs.
Q: What about the “pasteurized eggs” I’m seeing on the
market these days?
Pasteurized eggs are a relatively new product. They are
sterilized by submerging the eggs in a water bath at around
130°F, a temperature that, given enough time, is hot enough
to kill any harmful bacteria on or inside the egg but cool
enough that the egg won’t cook. Pasteurized eggs are useful
for people who like to eat their eggs runny or in raw
preparations like mayonnaise but don’t want to run the (very
minimal) risk of getting sick from them. For most cooking
purposes, pasteurized eggs will work fine, though you’ll
notice that the whites are runnier (making them difficult to
poach or fry), and that they take about twice as long to whip
into peaks. The yolks work just as well as those from regular
eggs in mayonnaise or Caesar salad dressing.
Q: Is it true that brown eggs are healthier than white?
Absolutely not. The color of the eggshell has to do with the