Egg Fact Sheet
Trivia
- How long does it take for a hen to produce an egg?
A hen requires 24 to 26 hours to produce an egg. Thirty minutes later, she starts all over again.
- How can you tell if an egg is raw or cooked?
To tell if an egg is raw or hard-cooked,
spin it! If the egg spins easily, it is hard-cooked but if it wobbles, it is raw.
- How long will eggs keep?
Fresh shell eggs can be kept refrigerated in their carton
for at least 4 - 5 weeks beyond the pack date.Hard cooked eggs should be kept in the refrigerator
for up to one week.
- What are bloodspots?
Also called meat spots, these tiny spots do not
indicate a fertilized egg. Rather, they are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel
on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall
of the oviduct.
- What is the air cell?
The air cell is the empty space between the white and shell
at the large end of the egg. When an egg is first laid, it is warm. As it cools, the contents
contract and the inner shell membrane separates from the outer shell membrane to form the air cell.
- What determines shell color?
The breed of hen determines the color of the shell.
Breeds with white feathers and ear lobes lay white eggs; breeds with red feathers and ear lobes
lay brown eggs.
Preparation Tips
- Refrigeration, drying or freezing are the best ways to preserve egg quality.
Fresh eggs are so readily available that long storage periods are rarely necessary.
- The basic principle of egg cooking is to use a medium to low temperature and time carefully.
When eggs are cooked at too high a temperature or for too long at a low temperature, whites
shrink and become tough and rubbery; yolks become tough and their surface may turn gray-green.
Eggs, other than hard-cooked, should be cooked until the whites are completely coagulated and
the yolks begin to thicken.
- Visit the American Egg Board for
cooking instructions.
Source:
The American Egg Board
|
|