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White vs. brown eggs : There is no difference between white and brown eggs. The color of the shell is determined by the breed of the hen. White shelled eggs typically are from hens with white feathers, while brown shelled eggs are typically from hens with brown feathers. The only difference between white and brown eggs is the color - there is no difference in flavor or nutritional value.Organic Eggs: Organic eggs are produced from hens that have been fed a special feed in which all of the ingredients were grown without the aid of commercial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Organic eggs come from hens that have outdoor access during the day and are able to run around outside in an area covered with natural vegetation. Fertile Eggs: Fertile eggs are simply eggs that can be incubated and developed into chicks. Fertile eggs have higher production costs so they are more expensive for the consumer and they also spoil more quickly than non-fertile eggs. Free range vs. Cage free: Free-range chickens usually have a covered shelter and access to an outside scratch yard. They are pasture-fed and can get worms and bugs, which is the ideal feed for health and strong immunity. Cage free chickens do not live in cages but typically live inside a hen house without access to the outdoors.
Vegetarian eggs:
Hens are fed a special feed containing
ingredients of plant origin only. The nutrient
content of these eggs is the same as that of
conventional eggs.
The hens are kept in cages and therefore are not
classed as "free-range". Barn-laid eggs: The hens are kept indoors, in large barns covered with straw and are separated into pens rather than into small cages.
Conventional or Standard eggs:
These
eggs come from chickens fed conventional food,
which includes GM (genetically modified) grains,
GM soy and pesticides.
The chickens are kept in small cages, anything
between 3 to 7 hens per cage, so there is not
enough room for the hens to exercise. Learn All About Eggs & How To Cook Them Making Natural Easter Egg Dyes
Check out Linda's other interesting web links on eggs:
How To Peel Eggs
Hints and Tips:
When buying eggs, open the carton to
be sure none of the eggs are cracked; discard any that are, they may
have bacteria that might contaminate the egg.
Be sure to store you eggs in the
original egg carton in the refrigerator. Don’t take them out
and put them in the door. Every time the refrigerator door is
opened it exposes the egg to the room temperature.
To tell if an egg is hard-cooked or
raw, place the egg on its side and spin it evenly on a level
surface; if it wobbles, it is raw.
If an egg is accidentally dropped on
the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy clean up.
You cannot hard-cook eggs in a
microwave (they'll explode), but if you find after peeling an egg
that it is not quite done at the center, pierce it once or twice
with a fork, set microwave to medium power and cook the egg for 10
to 20 seconds before checking for doneness.
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The simple and classic boiled egg, is one of the finest and easiest edible delights known on earth, with just 70 calories, and full of nature’s most perfect form of protein. It used to be that people were scared of eating eggs because of the cholesterol in the egg yolks. Now research has found that eggs also raise the good cholesterol that bodies need. According to the American Egg Board, the terms “hard-” and “soft-boiled” eggs are really misnomers, because boiling eggs makes them tough and rubbery. Instead, these eggs should be “hard-” or “soft-cooked” in hot (still) water. Check out my informative article on Poaching vs. Simmering vs. Boiling.
To Correctly Cook Hard-Cooked (Boiled) Eggs: Boiling an egg is really very simple! After reading many different opinions about the best method for making perfect hard-cooked (boiled) eggs, I have discovered, through my own personal testing, the following easy method which gives great results. This way of cooking is also known as "coddling." It does not toughen the whites as boiling does. This will also assist with the peeling process, as the cold water creates steam between the egg white and the shell which makes the shell easier to remove. 1. For perfect cooking, start with eggs that don't have any visible cracks: There are two problems you'll want to avoid: cracked shells and the ugly green layer that can form around the yolk. Note: Do not add salt to water. The salt will raise the boiling point of the water making the egg whites rubbery
Eggs that are too fresh are difficult to peel. The fresher the eggs, the harder it will be to peel them because the white membrane is just not mature enough. Hard boiling farm fresh eggs will invariably lead to eggs that are difficult to peel. First, figure out if your eggs are fresh, because looking at the date on the carton is not always the best indicator of freshness, as eggs within the same carton with the same sell-by-date could have been laid on different days. Check out Sell Date of Eggs. In a fresh egg, the yolk stand tall and the white is thick and cloudy. In an older egg, the yolk looks flatter and breaks easily, and the white is thin and watery. A simple test in water will answer the freshness question for you. Place the egg in a bowl of water; if it lies on its side, it is very fresh. As it ages, the air pocket inside the egg grows, which buoys the egg up so it stands on one end. If the egg floats to the top, it is ready for the trash The best eggs for boiling are the ones on their way to standing up because that extra air makes peeling easier. That's why you should buy eggs for hard-cooking at least a week ahead of time When making deviled eggs, place carton of eggs on its side for a day. The yolk will then center itself so you have it directly in the middle of the white. No more off centered deviled eggs.
If the egg has been stored in the refrigerator it can be warmed gently under a flowing hot tap water. By bringing the eggs to room temperature, they're much less likely to crack in the hot water. Also the temperature of the egg at the start of the cooking process will affect the cooking time. An egg that is at room temperature at the start of the cooking process will require about 1 minute less cooking time than eggs taken directly from the refrigerator.
Gently place the eggs in a single layer in a pan with enough cold water to cover eggs completely (approximately by 1 inch).
Over high heat, bring water JUST to a rapid boil.
Set timer for 17 minutes for large eggs or 20 minutes for jumbo eggs.
Stop the cooking process: Transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice cubes and/or cold water.
Let eggs cool at least 10 minutes in cold water, then drain. Either store in refrigerator or peel the eggs (see below for How To Peel Hard-Cooked Eggs Easily). A quick test to ensure that
your eggs are hardboiled: When eggs have cooled, spin them
on a hard surface (just like you would spin a top). If the
eggs spins quickly without taking off or flying off in one
direction, the egg is hard boiled and finished. Undercooked
eggs (or uncooked eggs) will have a wobbly and unsteady
spin.
Use the following cooking times as a guide for the desired firmness for the yolk of each egg size (the whites will be firm). The timing begins once the pot of eggs is removed from the heat source.
A soft-cooked egg has a firm white and runny yolk. To serve in egg cup, place egg in cup small end down, slice off large end of egg with knife or egg scissors and eat from shell with spoon. You can also buy a good egg topper from a kitchen store. They're very quick and practical. I finally bought myself one, and now my eggs look beautiful when I top them!
A medium-cooked egg has a firm white and a slightly firm yolk.
Hard-cooked eggs should never be boiled - simmer them in water. If boiled or cooked too long, the protein toughens or becomes rubbery and a greenish or purplish ring forms around the yolk. Extremely fresh eggs are not recommended when making hard-boiled eggs. They are very difficult to peel. This is the best use for eggs nearing their expiration date. Refrigeration is necessary for hard boiled eggs if they eggs are not to be consumed within a few hours. Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be refrigerated up to one week.
Photo of the different eggs courtesy
of Hormel Foods.
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4.
Technique for hard-cooking (boiled) eggs:
Hard-cooked
(boiled)
eggs: 