The egg pops up this time of year in a variety of forms, from the real thing dyed in subtle shades to the plastic and chocolate varieties. The simple yet complex egg, in its humble shell, has been acknowledged since ancient times as a reminder of spring and rebirth.
The American Egg Board—based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge—promotes the egg as one of nature’s most perfect foods. It can perform more than 20 distinct functions in the making and processing of food—often in the place of multiple additives. In other words, it’s heads above its knock-off competitors. For example, an egg can be used as an adhesive in health bars and variety breads; it can improve structure, create foam (think mousse and meringue), bind, brown, coagulate, and gel. It locks in flavor and aroma in baked goods, but also insulates and provides substantial body and smoothness.
And there’s good news for health-conscious consumers: It appears that eggs are OK to eat again. They contain the highest quality source of protein available, along with 13 essential vitamins and minerals, except vitamin C. In fact, egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D. And to top that, the American Heart Association’s new guidelines now permit an egg a day, rather than only three a week—provided you carefully control cholesterol in the rest of your diet.
Despite all its glory, the egg does have issues. A lot of public attention has been focused on topics like salmonella, cholesterol, and egg substitutes. According to the Egg Board, eggs used in processed foods are pasteurized and free from salmonella. The key is proper food handling. Regarding cholesterol, the egg has gotten a bad reputation as a high-cholesterol food. Studies have shown that saturated fat is the real culprit in raising cholesterol. Most healthy people can include eggs in their diet.
So whether you decorate them or just eat them, this is the time to celebrate their long list of qualities.
For more information, contact the American Egg Board at 1460 Renaissance
Drive, Park Ridge, IL 60068. Phone: (847) 296-7043; Fax: (847) 296-7007. Web
site: www.aeb.org.
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Tips for coloring and decorating eggs
• Eggs to be decorated may be either hard-cooked or empty eggshells.
The hard-cooked variety is easier for children to use, while empty shells are
best for display for a longer time.
• Before dying eggs, wash first in a mild detergent solution to remove
the oil coating so the color adheres more evenly.
• Commercial egg dyes and food coloring are commonly used for Easter
eggs, but why not try some natural methods? Simmer eggs in water to cover for
15 minutes with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for each cup of water and one
of the following materials to produce a shade of color shown:
Pink/red: fresh beets, cranberries, radishes, or frozen raspberries
Delicate yellow: orange or lemon peels, carrot tops or ground cumin
Pale green: spinach leaves
Blue: canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves
Brown: strong coffee.
• Wash your hands thoroughly when handling eggs. Refrigerate hard-cooked
eggs in their cartons if you won’t be coloring them right after cooking and
cooling. Refrigerate again immediately after dying and displaying them.
• Color only uncracked eggs. If any eggs crack during dyeing or while
on display, discard them along with any eggs that have been out of refrigeration
for more than 2 hours.
• To safely empty an eggshell, wash the egg using warm water, then dry
it. (For extra safety, you can also rinse the egg in a bleach solution—1
teaspoon chlorine bleach in 1 quart water.) Use a sterilized long needle or
small, sharp skewer to prick a small hole in the small end of the egg and a
large hole in the large end. Carefully chip away bits of shell around the large
hole until it’s big enough to fit the tip of a baster. Stick the needle or skewer
into the yolk to break it.
Shake the egg (large-end down) over a cup or press the bulb of a baster to push air into the egg and expel the contents. Rinse the empty shell under cool running water. Stand it on end to drain and dry.
• The contents of emptied eggshells can be used in baked dishes that
call for thorough cooking, like casseroles, custards, quiches, and cakes. Use
the contents immediately or freeze them, labeling the storage container with
the date and number of eggs it contains. You can keep mixed whole eggs frozen
for a year at 0 degrees or lower.
• Hide your eggs carefully and avoid contact with dirt, pets, birds,
insects, or lawn chemicals. Refrigerate the hidden eggs again once they’ve been
found.
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Egg TriviaÂ
• A hen requires 24 to 26 hours to produce an egg. Thirty minutes
later, she starts all over again.
• The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface.
Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odors. Storing them in their cartons
helps keep them fresh.
• Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the
refrigerator.
• About 240 million hens produce approximately 5.5 billion dozen eggs
per year in the United States.
• The yolk of a large egg contains about 59 calories.
• White-shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear
lobes. Brown-shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear
lobes.
(Source: American Egg Board)
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Hot asparagus egg salad
4 Kaiser rolls
1 package (0.9 oz.) Hollandaise sauce mix
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups fresh asparagus pieces, cooked and drained, or 1 package (10 oz.)
frozen asparagus cuts, cooked and drained
1/2 cup chopped lean cooked ham
1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
Cut 1/2 inch off tops of rolls. From the bottom piece, remove inside crumb, leaving 1/2-inch border on bottom and sides. Place rolls and tops on baking sheet in preheated 400-degree oven until crisp and lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Empty sauce mix into medium saucepan. Stir in cornstarch. Slowly stir in water and blend until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Stir in asparagus, ham, and mushrooms. Gently fold in eggs. Cook over low heat just until heated through, about 2 or 3 minutes. Place rolls on serving plates and fill each with about 1 cup of mixture.
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Meringue-capped Kiwi Custard
(6 servings)
1/3 cup plus 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
3 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
In medium saucepan, stir together 1/3 cup of the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
In heavy saucepan or double boiler, combine egg whites with 3/4 cup of the remaining sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cook over low heat, beating with portable mixer on low speed until whites reach 160 degrees. Pour into large bowl. Beat on high speed until whites stand in soft peaks.
To serve, line each of 6 (6- to 8-ounce) dessert dishes with 1/2 cup kiwi slices. Spoon in 1/4 cup custard and dollop with 1/2 cup meringue.
(courtesy American Egg Board)
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This article appears in May 8-14, 2003.
