Cooked eggs do not actually pose a health threat, but if you are preparing to follow a recipe that calls for raw or undercooked eggs such as mayonnaise, eggnog etc. Pasteurization is strongly recommended to eliminate the risk of infection by salmonella bacteria.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Standard technique
Step 1. Use fresh eggs
As a general rule, relatively fresh eggs are safer to use than slightly dated ones. Do not use eggs beyond the indicated expiration date and never use eggs with cracks in the shell.
Step 2. Bring the eggs to room temperature
Remove the eggs you intend to use from the fridge and leave them at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes. The shell must be at almost room temperature to the touch before proceeding with any preparation.
Do not use chilled eggs for this procedure. The yolks must reach a temperature of 59 ° C, before killing potential bacteria, but cold eggs may not heat up sufficiently during the short time they will pass in hot water for pasteurization. Eggs at room temperature, on the other hand, have an extra chance
Step 3. Put the eggs in a saucepan with water
Fill a small saucepan with half cold and half hot water. Carefully place the eggs in the water, spreading them in a single layer.
- If necessary, add more water inside. The eggs should be covered with water for about 2, 5cm.
- Attach an instant thermometer to one side of the tub. Make sure the tip of the thermometer is submerged in water so you can sense its temperature during the process. You will need to monitor the temperature very closely.
- Any type of instant thermometer is fine, although a digital one is the best solution as it allows you to detect even the smallest temperature changes.
Step 4. Heat the water slowly
Place the saucepan on the stove and heat over medium heat. Let the water reach a temperature of 60 ° C.
- In theory, you shouldn't let the temperature rise above 61 ° C. At higher temperatures, the texture and properties of the egg may alter. You may end up cooking eggs without realizing it.
- You could let the temperature rise to 65.6 ° C for a very brief moment without detecting significant changes in the quality of the raw egg. In particular, if you don't use a thermometer, you will need to observe the water and wait for bubbles to form at the bottom of the bowl. When this happens, the water temperature will be around 65.6 ° C. Even if this temperature is slightly higher than ideal, let's say it is still acceptable.
Step 5. Maintain the temperature for 3-5 minutes
With the water temperature constant at 60 ° C, continue to heat the eggs for three minutes. Oversized eggs should be kept in water for five minutes.
- Since the water temperature must never exceed 61.1 ° C, it will be necessary to continuously monitor the temperature during this process. Set the temperature on the stove to perform the procedure correctly.
- If you have heated the water to 65.6 ° C or are not using a thermometer, you should remove the pan from the heat before letting the eggs sit in hot water for 3-5 minutes.
Step 6. Rinse the eggs with cold water
Carefully remove the eggs and rinse them under cold water until the shell is at room temperature.
- Alternatively, you can put the eggs in a bowl of ice water instead of rinsing them under running water. Running water is preferable, as you run less risk of bacterial growth, but both options work perfectly.
- Rinsing in cold water lowers the internal temperature of the egg, thus preventing it from continuing to rise with the risk of cooking it.
Step 7. Store the eggs in the refrigerator
The eggs need to be pasteurized at this point. You can use them right away or keep storing them for another week.
Method 2 of 2: Open Egg Technique
Step 1. Use fresh eggs
The eggs should be as fresh as possible and free from cracks. Make sure they are clean.
Using room temperature eggs is not all that important for this method as the egg white and / or yolk will be exposed to heat more directly, although room temperature is preferable
Step 2. Boil the water in a large saucepan
Fill a large saucepan one third full with water and place it on the stove over high heat. Slowly bring to a constant boil before turning off the heat.
- Continue with the next step while you wait for the water to heat up.
- You will need a second stainless steel bowl to fit inside the pot with the water. The sides of the bowl must be high enough to prevent the water from the pot from splashing in. Do not immediately place the bowl in the water.
Step 3. Break the eggs
Break the eggs and pour the yolk and egg white into the stainless steel bowl.
With this method, it is possible to pasteurize egg white and egg yolk at the same time. If you only need the yolk or egg white, you can separate them into different bowls
Step 4. Beat the eggs with some liquid
Combine the raw egg with a little liquid, using about 2 tablespoons (30ml) for each whole egg, egg white or yolk. Beat the ingredients thoroughly until the mixture begins to be frothy.
You can use any liquid in the recipe, including water, lemon juice, milk, or flavorings. However, do not add the lemon juice and water together, since the lemon juice causes the milk to curdle. Curdled milk can ruin eggs by making them lumpy
Step 5. Put the bowl inside the pot
Once the water is boiling and the fire has been extinguished, place the bowl inside the pot of water, securing it with pliers or tongs if necessary.
This method uses a water bath technique to heat and pasteurize the eggs indirectly. Technically, you could heat the eggs directly, but doing so risks cooking them. If you still choose to cook them directly, set the stove flame to maximum power
Step 6. Stir constantly until the water temperature drops
As soon as you insert the bowl with the eggs into the bowl with the water you need to start beating them immediately with a fork or whisk. Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes or until the water drops to a lukewarm temperature.
The constant movement distributes the heat evenly, preventing the eggs from cooking or partial pasteurization
Step 7. Use the eggs immediately
Let the eggs cool for about three minutes and then use them for your recipe. You shouldn't freeze them or store them in the refrigerator.
Advice
If you don't have time to pasteurize eggs at home, consider buying them already pasteurized or better yet already beaten and pasteurized. Both alternatives are more expensive than normal eggs, but besides having the guarantee of a professional pasteurization you will save time and effort
Warnings
- About 1 in 20,000 eggs contain salmonella bacteria. Proper pasteurization should be sufficient to kill these bacteria, which is why any recipe that calls for the use of raw eggs should be preceded by the pasteurization process.
- While these methods are used by both novice and professional cooks, there is no 100% guarantee that homemade pasteurized eggs will completely eliminate bacteria.
- To be safe, you should eliminate recipes that include raw eggs in pregnancy or with a compromised immune system, even if the eggs have been properly pasteurized.
