Cooked eggs have virtually no bacterial threat, but if you're following a recipe that calls for raw or undercooked eggs-mayonnaise, frosting, egg shakes (eggnog), etc. reduce or eliminate the risk of infection with salmonella bacteria.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Method One: Standard Technique
Step 1. Use fresh eggs
As a general rule, fairly fresh eggs are safer to use than old ones. Never use eggs that have passed their expiration date and never use eggs with cracked shells.
Step 2. Place the eggs until they are at room temperature
Remove the eggs you will be using from the refrigerator, and let them sit on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes. The shell temperature of each egg should be close to room temperature before you move on to the next step.
Do not use refrigerated eggs for this procedure. The yolk needs to reach a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius to kill any bacteria that may be present, but the cold temperature of the eggs may still be insufficient when placed in warm water used for pasteurization for a limited time. On the other hand, eggs at room temperature have a better chance
Step 3. Place the eggs in a pot of water
Fill a small saucepan with cold water until it is only half cold. Place the eggs carefully in the water; place on the bottom of the pan in a single layer.
- If needed, add more water to the pan after placing the eggs in. Eggs should be covered in 2.5 cm of water.
- Attach the instant-read thermometer to the side of the pan. Make sure the tip of the thermometer is submerged in water so that it can read the temperature of the water during the process. You need to watch the temperature closely.
- Note that any instant read thermometer can be used, but a digital thermometer is probably best because you can read temperature fluctuations more accurately.
Step 4. Slowly heat the water
Place the pot on the stove and heat it on a medium heat setting. Let the water reach 60 degrees Celsius).
- Ideally, you should not allow the water temperature to rise more than 61.1 degrees Celsius at any time during the process. At higher temperatures, the consistency and content of the eggs may change. You may be overcooking the eggs without you even realizing it.
- However, if absolutely necessary, you can allow the temperature to rise to 65.6 degrees Celsius without noticing any significant change in the quality of the raw egg. Especially if you're not using a thermometer, you'll need to look at the water and wait for bubbles to form at the bottom of the pan. When that happens, the temperature of the water is around 65.6 degrees Celsius. Although this temperature is slightly higher than ideal, the process can still work quite well.
Step 5. Maintain the temperature for three to five minutes
With the water temperature constant at 60 degrees Celsius, continue to heat the large eggs for a full three minutes. Extra large eggs should be left in hot water for five minutes.
- Since the water temperature should not be higher than 61.1 degrees Celsius, you will need to monitor the temperature constantly during this process. Adjust the temperature setting over the compost as needed to complete this process.
- If you allow the water temperature to rise to 65.6 degrees Celsius or if you pasteurize your eggs without using a thermometer, you will need to remove the pan from the heat source before leaving the eggs in the hot water for three to five minutes.
Step 6. Rinse the eggs with cold water
Carefully remove the eggs from the water using a slotted spoon and rinse under cold running water until the eggshells are at room temperature or lower.
- Alternatively, you can put the eggs in a bowl of ice water without rinsing them under cold running water. Running water is preferable because standing water can cause bacteria, but either option is technically acceptable.
- Rinsing the eggs in cold water quickly lowers the temperature in the eggs, thereby preventing the temperature from continuing to rise and cooking or ripening the eggs.
Step 7. Store eggs in your refrigerator
The eggs had been pasteurized by then. You can use it right away or keep it in the refrigerator for about a week.
Method 2 of 2: Method Two: Open Egg Technique
Step 1. Use fresh eggs
Eggs should be as fresh as possible and free of cracks. Also make sure the eggs are clean.
The use of eggs at room temperature is not very important in this method because the whites and yolks will be exposed to the heat more directly, but eggs at room temperature are slightly preferable to cold eggs with this method
Step 2. Soak water in a large saucepan
Fill a large pot with water one-third or half full and turn your stove on to a high heat setting. Allow it to simmer gently and the steam escapes before turning off the heat source.
- Continue following these steps while waiting for the water to heat up.
- You'll also need a second stainless steel bowl that will fit into a large pot of water. The walls of your bowl should be high enough to prevent water from entering the pot from entering the bowl. But don't put the bowl in the water just yet.
Step 3. Crack the egg
Crack the eggs and place the whites and yolks directly into your second stainless steel bowl.
With this method, you can pasteurize the egg white and yolk together. If you only need the whites or yolks, you can separate the eggs before putting the parts you need into the bowl. Get rid of the unnecessary parts by throwing them in the sink in your kitchen
Step 4. Add some liquid
Mix raw eggs with a small amount of liquid, using about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of solution for each whole egg, egg white, or yolk. Whisk the ingredients together until the eggs start to look foamy.
You can use any liquid, including water, lemon juice, milk, or flavoring. But make sure you don't add lemon juice and milk together, as lemon juice (or any acidic liquid) will cause the milk to become curd. The milk that becomes curd will damage the eggs making them lumpy
Step 5. Place the bowl in the pan
Once the water has come to a low boil and the heat has been turned off, place the bottom of the bowl in a pot of hot water, pinching with pliers or tongs if necessary.
This method uses the double-boiling technique to heat and pasteurize the eggs indirectly. You'd technically need to heat the eggs directly by skipping the pot and water, but direct heating risks overcooking the eggs, not pasteurizing. When you heat the eggs directly, make sure you use the lowest possible heat setting on your stove
Step 6. Shake constantly until the water temperature drops
Immediately after you put the egg bowl in the hot water, and have to start beating the eggs with a fork or wire whisk. Continue to whisk for two or three minutes, or until the water temperature drops to warm.
The constant motion distributes the heat evenly throughout the egg mixture, thereby preventing the eggs from cooking in one part or unpasteurized
Step 7. Use the egg directly
Allow the eggs to cool for about three minutes, then use as specified in your recipe. You should not refrigerate or freeze these eggs in the refrigerator.
Tips
If your time is limited and you're not sure how to pasteurize your eggs at home, consider buying pasteurized eggs or a liquid egg product that has been pasteurized at the store. Both options are more expensive than regular eggs, but the professional procedures used to have your eggs pasteurized will provide an added level of protection and save you time and effort
Warning
- Roughly 1 in 20,000 eggs contains salmonella bacteria. However, proper pasteurization will kill these bacteria, so any dish that requires raw eggs needs to use raw, pasteurized eggs.
- Although this method is used by both novice and professional chefs, there is no 100% guarantee that pasteurized eggs at home will be completely bacteria-free.
- To be safe, avoid using recipes and foods that use raw eggs if you are pregnant or if your immune system is compromised, even if the eggs are properly pasteurized.
