Questions about eggs and egg based foods, or egg substitutions in recipes.
73
votes
9answers
28k views
Why use milk in scrambled eggs?
I've seen many recipes for scrambled eggs with and without milk / cream / half and half
So what does the milk do? The only difference I can see is color - without the milk the eggs are a brighter ...
53
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the difference between white and brown eggs?
I always use brown extra large eggs, but I can't honestly say why I do this other than habit at this point. Are there any distinct advantages or disadvantages like flavor, shelf life, etc?
48
votes
9answers
1k views
How should I poach an egg?
What's the best method to poach an egg without it turning into an eggy soupy mess?
31
votes
1answer
5k views
When I'm separating egg whites, how much does it matter if a little yolk gets in?
I was separating egg whites today and one of the yolks broke and contaminated my bowl of whites. I started from scratch, but I'm wondering if I really needed to; would a tiny bit of yolk (say, 1/8 ...
28
votes
9answers
6k views
Should I refrigerate eggs?
I've read a lot of conflicting advice on whether it's advisable to store eggs in the refrigerator. The case against seems twofold: (1) that eggshells are porous, and eggs can take on unwelcome ...
28
votes
12answers
2k views
How to peel hard boiled eggs easily?
This is one of the most annoying duties in the kitchen, for me.
What are yours tips and tricks to peel hard boiled eggs easily?
27
votes
6answers
2k views
What's the right way to hard boil eggs?
I find I always have trouble scaling the amount of time the eggs should be boiled, cooled, etc. for different-sized batches of hard-boiled eggs.
I've heard a variety of "folk lore"-type rules for how ...
26
votes
11answers
4k views
How to succeed with making omelette
Sounds simple but I seem to fail every time, that is it turns into scrambled eggs instead. How do you make it so that you can flip it over both without it breaking and before it burns?
25
votes
11answers
21k views
How long can I keep eggs in the refrigerator?
To keep eggs useful and healthy, what is the average time I can keep them in refrigerator? Can I freeze, and re-use them after melting, or will they be useless or not healthy to eat?
25
votes
7answers
9k views
Is it safe to eat raw eggs?
I have a friend that is training for a marathon and he drinks 6 raw eggs before running (Yes, like Rocky) - is this safe?
22
votes
3answers
1k views
How to remove bits of egg shell from a cracked egg?
Sometimes when I crack eggs, I end up with a bit of shell in the egg. How can I easily get the shell out, as it always seems to evade my fingers?
22
votes
1answer
917 views
Egg yolks vs Whole eggs
I'm about to make cinnamon rolls & one recipe calls for 2 whole eggs. The other recipe calls for 3 egg yolks. Which one will give me a moist, soft, cinnamon roll?
21
votes
1answer
368 views
Sniffing out a rotten egg from the dozen
Is it possible to tell if an egg has gone off?
I am not referring to those eggs that have been especially brined to look like they've been sitting around for decades, but to fresh eggs you want to ...
20
votes
16answers
19k views
Cooking an egg without oil or butter
I like scrambled and fried eggs but the butter or oil probably add unnecessary calories. How can I fry an egg with no butter? I tried in a Teflon pan but it was a mess.
18
votes
10answers
2k views
How do I separate egg white?
What are ways of getting only the egg white from an egg? Can it be done after the yolk is broken?
18
votes
12answers
4k views
How do I flip an egg when preparing it “over easy”?
I tend to break a lot of yolks when preparing eggs over easy. I also can't do it too fast, making it hard to cook multiple eggs at once (they tend to overcook).
Sometimes the spatula I'm using ...
18
votes
10answers
5k views
Can I boil eggs in the same pot I'm boling something else?
I know cooking the eggs kills the salmonella and that the risk is small even for raw eggs. However, I stopped boiling the eggs in the same pot I'm boiling something else, like potatoes, when I learnt ...
18
votes
3answers
5k views
How does a splash of vinegar help when poaching eggs?
What does splashing in a shot of white vinegar to the simmering water do when poaching an egg?
Is it for taste or is it supposed to react in some way with the albumen?
16
votes
9answers
4k views
Can raw eggs be frozen?
If raw eggs are nearing their expiry date, can they be preserved in the freezer? Would there be any issues with them after taking them out of the freezer?
16
votes
2answers
509 views
How can I tell whether an egg has been hard-boiled, through the shell?
At my workplace, there's a mysterious carton of eggs in the common refrigerator. Nobody I've asked knows whether they're raw or cooked.
Is there a way to tell, without cracking one of the eggs open?
16
votes
2answers
937 views
What causes the green ring between yolk and white when hardboiling an egg?
The yolk of a hardboiled egg often has a green tinge right at the interface to the white. Besides not looking very good, I think it also maybe contributes a sulfurous odor. What causes this green ...
16
votes
5answers
1k views
How can I prevent bacon mayonnaise from splitting when above fridge temp?
I know how to fix a split mayonnaise made with olive or vegetable oil - that's not a problem.
I have made Kenji Lopez-Alt's recipe for animal fat mayonnaise (bacon fat, for putting on a burger). It ...
14
votes
2answers
2k views
Why is water often added to the eggs when making omelettes?
Why is water often added to the eggs when making an omelette?
Also, is there a recommended amount of water?
14
votes
5answers
12k views
How do I prevent an egg cracking while hard boiling it?
Sometimes when I cook hard boiled eggs they will crack in the saucepan, and some of the egg will seep out into the water.
Am I boiling the water too vigorously, or can I add something to the water to ...
13
votes
7answers
3k views
Why are Italian eggs so yellow?
I've noticed when I've bought Italian eggs from delis here in Europe that the yolks are very yellow - almost orange. Why is this? Assume it's the hen's diet. What are they feeding chickens there?
13
votes
5answers
9k views
How to prevent overcooking of eggs in Carbonara sauce?
Carbonara can be absolutely delicicious if everthing goes perfectly; but it can also be tasteless, chewy and lumpy, if the egg is overcooked. Does anyone have what they regard as a fool proof method ...
13
votes
5answers
994 views
Perfect Fried Egg
I like a fried egg with all the white cooked, yet all the yellow runny.
I normally do this by separating the yolk and white, and putting the yolk in halfway through.
Anybody know an easier way?
13
votes
3answers
9k views
Can someone please give an explanation of different egg preparations?
When we go to a restaurant for breakfast and order eggs, we are often asked how we want them. I have a handful of ways that I will eat them (I often prefer over-medium) and I am sure there a large ...
13
votes
1answer
262 views
Trick to making perfect egg ribbons?
I'm looking for a time-proven method for getting perfect egg ribbons in egg drop or hot and sour soup. The result I'm looking for is a clear soup with the classic gossamer egg ribbons. I'm not ...
12
votes
7answers
6k views
How can I make cookies with no eggs?
I'd like to make some biscuits (cookies), but I have no eggs, and I don't want to leave the apartment.
Can I use something else?
12
votes
1answer
4k views
What does beating eggs actually do (chemically speaking)?
When I look at a lot of recipes, any eggs usually have to be beaten before they're added. If it's all going to be mixed anyway (and well, in dough for example) is it really necessary?
12
votes
3answers
201 views
Good video on separating eggs
Could anyone point me to a good video on cracking an egg and then separating the white and the yolk? I need to improve my technique. For every few eggs that I crack I end up with little bits of egg ...
12
votes
3answers
10k views
12
votes
6answers
3k views
Perfect Hollandaise every time using a blender/food processor?
I was a cook at a cafe recently that was buying in Hollandaise. I started making the sauce from scratch following the same basic procedure each time but got varying results. sometimes the Hollandaise ...
11
votes
13answers
2k views
Better Scrambled Eggs
I used to add milk to eggs when whipping them, but someone told me that water was better since it evaporated and made the eggs fluffier. I've tried it, and I'm not sure which one works better.
Any ...
11
votes
2answers
573 views
How does salmonella get into eggs?
Since a few hundred million eggs have been recalled, I'm wondering how salmonella gets into eggs in the first place.
Is it getting on the shells from the environment (or the hen)? Is it inside the ...
11
votes
1answer
1k views
Why do people recommend cream of tartar when whipping egg whites to the exclusion of all other acids?
Virtually every single egg white recipe will say add some cream of tartar to egg whites to help them whip better because the cream of tartar will lower the pH and make it more stable. But if all it's ...
11
votes
4answers
627 views
Using ostrich and emu eggs
Every time I venture to whole foods I notice the ostrich and emu eggs for sale. The one obvious difference is size. Do the eggs taste the same as chicken eggs? Are they any different nutritionally? ...
11
votes
1answer
2k views
How to pasteurize eggs in a sous vide machine (in the shell)
I have a Sous Vide Supreme machine and I like raw eggs (in the shell). I've made a few batches by simply boiling them at 134F for 2-4 hours, but I have 2 problems: some of the eggs crack and most of ...
11
votes
4answers
424 views
How to ensure that spices reach inside the eggs in the egg curry?
For egg curry, I boil the eggs, shell them, pierce them with a fork and deep fry them.
Then I prepare the gravy and pressure cook the eggs and the gravy.
Anything I do, doesn't let the spices go ...
11
votes
8answers
6k views
How can I make macarons with “feet” in my oven at home?
I've tried many macaron recipes, and all have tasted very good. The problem is they always end up as a meringue, or looking like cookies. They usually don't have the "feet" that macarons are known ...
11
votes
4answers
2k views
How can I keep meringue pie-topping from falling?
Nothin' better on a hot summer afternoon than a slice of cold pie... And nothin' says "summer" like a great big fluffy meringue topping over that slab of rhubarb/lemon/banana custard.
Unfortunately, ...
10
votes
5answers
4k views
How do you halve a recipe that calls for 1 egg?
How do you halve a recipe that calls for 1 egg?
Clarification: I do not want to have to make the full recipe just to use half and I don't have powdered egg substitute.
10
votes
4answers
838 views
Yellowness of egg yolk
Related question: Why are Italian eggs so yellow?
Occasionally I get served a fried / poached egg with a deep yellow/orange yolk. I find it extremely appetising and visually attractive.
Sometimes ...
10
votes
3answers
4k views
Why do yolks break so easily (sometimes)?
Separating eggs without breaking the yolk isn't one of those problems that keeps me awake at night. Nevertheless, there are occasions where I can't get a single damn yolk to hold together and other ...
10
votes
4answers
705 views
What can I do with frozen eggs?
Although a previous question asks if raw eggs can be frozen, my eggs froze, in the shell, because the chicken coop into which they were delivered was very cold last week.
I thawed the eggs, and they ...
10
votes
5answers
4k views
Can I make pickled eggs that don't require refrigeration?
This time of year I have a ton of extra eggs. In the winter I have fewer. I have, therefore, been experimenting with egg preservation techniques.
I like pickled eggs a lot. They aren't very versatile ...
10
votes
1answer
184 views
In general, can I substitute egg species for either egg-only or egg-centric dishes?
(Prompted by an interesting radio show on ducks and duck eggs).
For general uses, in either an egg-only dish, or an egg-centric dish like a custard or quiche, can I use eggs other than chicken eggs?
...
10
votes
2answers
2k views
Chocolate mousse with cooked eggs?
Most recipes I have seen for mousse require you to use egg yolks and don't involve any cooking of the egg. It's my understanding that when an egg's yolk is still soft (or not cooked at all in this ...
9
votes
5answers
20k views
How long can eggs be unrefrigerated before becoming unsafe to eat?
A friend of mine accidentally left a carton of eggs on her counter, unrefrigerated, for three days. The eggs had been previously refrigerated both at the store and at home. Now she's planning to do ...
