Everything You Need to Know About Eggs: Yolks, Whites, and More

Use a fork to beat the whole egg until the yolk and white are combined and no streaks remain.

Soft Peaks

• Any fat (egg yolk, butter, oil) will inhibit egg whites from whipping properly.
• Clean all equipment with vinegar to neutralize any residual fat on their surfaces.
• Place egg whites in glass or metal bowl (do not use plastic).
• For the best results, separate your eggs while they're cold. Then let the whites sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed or with a rotary beater until they form peaks with tips that curl over when the beaters are lifted.

Stiff Peaks

• Follow instructions for soft peaks, but beat egg whites on high until they form peaks with tips that stand straight when the beaters are lifted out.

Beating Egg Yolks

• Beat yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for about five minutes.
• Color should be light yellow.
• Yolks should be thick and fall in a ribbon pattern when beaters are lifted out.

• There are a variety of ways to separate the white from the yolk.
• Using an egg separator, as pictured, is one of the safest ways.
• Passing the yolk from shell to shell is not as safe; the outside of the shell may contain salmonella bacteria.
• Separating the yolk by pouring the egg through a cupped, clean hand with slightly parted fingers is acceptable.
• Eggs are most easily separated when they are cold from the refrigerator.

Using an Egg Separator

• Place egg separator over a bowl and add egg to the separator.
• White will drain away from yolk, into the bowl.

Select Clean, Fresh Eggs: Dirty, cracked, or leaking eggs may have become contaminated with harmful bacteria.

Storing Eggs

• Refrigerate promptly.
• Store large ends up.
• Eggs absorb refrigerator odors easily—store in egg carton for least odor absorption.
• Refrigerate eggs up to five weeks from packing date, approximately three weeks from date purchased from grocery.
• Packing date is stamped on the carton from 1 to 365. One represents January 1 and 365 represents December 31.

Cracking Eggs

• Avoid getting eggshell into raw egg. Bacteria may be present on outside of the shell.

Storing Raw Egg Whites

• Refrigerate in tightly covered container for up to four days.
• Freeze for up to a year.

Storing Unbroken Egg Yolks

• Yolks may be refrigerated in by covering them with water in a tightly covered container.
• Yolks may be refrigerated up to two days.
• Do not freeze yolks as they will become very viscous and difficult to mix.

Freezing Whole Eggs

• Beat whites and yolks together.
• Place in tightly covered container.
• Freeze up to a year.

After Working with Eggs

Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces thoroughly.

For More Information

See the USDA Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov

What Are Egg Products?

• Frozen or refrigerated products based on egg whites
• Either contain less fat than whole eggs, or are fat-free
• No cholesterol

How to Use

• For most baked goods, substitute ¼ cup frozen or refrigerated egg product for each whole egg.
• Do not use when recipe requires air being whipped into eggs to leaven it, such as a sponge cake.
• To replace hard-cooked eggs, cook the egg product as you would an omelet and cut it up.

Salmonella can be contracted from raw or uncooked eggs.

Populations More Vulnerable to Salmonella

• Elderly
• Seriously ill
• Pregnant women
• Infants
• Children

Pasteurized Eggs

• Pasteurization destroys salmonella bacteria.
• Commercial forms of egg products are safe because they are pasteurized.