MAKING WISE PROTEIN CHOICES • 89Some Facts about Eggs
The taming of chickens and other fowl for egg production dates back
to before 1500 B.C. in China. Today, eggs come in many sizes and
shell colors, not just white and brown. Depending on the type of
chicken that laid them, some eggs have tints of green, blue and red.
Eggs, of course, should always be stored in the refrigerator. Because
of their porous shell, there is slight evaporation of moisture from the
inner egg through the shell, which changes its flavor and freshness.
If you are not using them quickly, store your eggs in a sealed con-
tainer to prevent loss of moisture. Never store eggs next to highly fla-
vored foods, such as onions and fish, because they will easily absorb
odors from these foods. Always store eggs with the large side up,
which suspends the yolk effectively within the egg white.
Chefs know that room-temperature eggs are easier to work with;
when boiled, they don’t crack, the whites are easier to whip, and the
yolks “stand up” more when fried. If you’re separating eggs, howev-
er, the colder ones are easier to work with.
Speaking of boiled eggs, they should never really be boiled but kept
just at a slight simmer until done. Furiously boiling them results in
rubbery whites and less-tasty yolks. One way to prevent the shells
from breaking during boiling is to use a pin. Prick the shell on the
large end of the egg with a pin. This allows the air pocket, found in
the large end of the egg, to escape during cooking. Otherwise, if the
air can’t escape, the pressure builds and it may crack the shell. The
best way to cook soft- or hard-boiled eggs is to place them in cold
water (1/2-inch above the eggs) and bring to a boil. Take off the heat
immediately. For soft-cooked eggs, remove after 2-4 minutes,
depending on your taste, and run under cold water. For hard-cooked
eggs, cover and let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse in cold water and
keep refrigerated until ready to use. (An egg that is less than two
days old is very difficult to peel when hard-boiled.)
Finally, before you buy eggs make sure they are relatively fresh by
looking at the date. Or, you can shake them close to your ear; if you
hear a sloshing sound, it means they’ve lost a lot of moisture over
time and there’s a big air space in them — avoid these. Eggs also
contain a natural barrier — an invisible protective coating that keeps
out bacteria. Never wash eggs before storing because you will
remove this natural protection.