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| Home > Agriculture > Eggs |
| Eggs are nutritious foods. The egg white is an
excellent source of protein and riboflavin. Egg yolks contain all
of the fat in an egg and are a good source of protein, iron,
vitamins A and D, choline and phosphorus. Their positive
contributions to the diet are similar to those of other foods in
the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, and Dry
Beans and Nuts food group.
In addition to their high nutritional value, eggs also have other
desirable characteristics. They're inexpensive, relatively low in
calories, convenient to use and prepare and easy to chew. They
perform a wide variety of functions in recipes, including
thickening and emulsifying mixtures, binding ingredients together
and leavening certain types of baked goods.
The most common egg used for food is the hen's egg, though those from other fowl-including duck, goose and quail-are sold in many areas. The eggs factors determining exterior quality include the soundness, cleanliness, shape and texture of the shell.The interior quality is determined by the size of the air cell (the empty space between the white and shell at the large end of the egg-smaller in high-quality eggs), the proportion and density of the white, and whether or not the yolk is firm and free of defects. In high-quality eggs, both the white and yolk stand higher, and the white spreads less than in lower-grade eggs. Large eggs are those on which most recipes are based. An eggshell's color-white or brown is determined by the breed of hen that laid it and has nothing to do with either taste or nutritive value. Storing eggs: Eggs must always be refrigerated. When stored at room temperature, they lose more quality in 1 day than in a week in the refrigerator. Eggs should be stored in the carton in which they came; transferring them to the egg container in the refrigerator door exposes them to odors and damage. They should always be stored large-endup and should never be placed near odoriferous foods because they easily absorb odors. The best flavor and cooking quality will be realized in eggs used within a week. They can, however, be refrigerated up to a month, providing the shells are intact. |
 Liquid
Egg WhitesWhen egg whites are needed for an uncooked dish, you can purchase egg whites that are already separated from the yolks. The egg whites are usually packaged in pourable containers and are convenient for cooks who use more egg whites than yolks. Because of the pasteurization process, the beating time necessary for meringues may be 3 to 5 times longer than the beating time required for egg whites.
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| Eggs |