However what about recipes that decision for uncooked or undercooked eggs—like carbonara or tiramisu? For sure dishes, there’s no acceptable substitute for the emulsifying or volumizing properties that uncooked eggs ship. In these instances, the most effective answer is to make use of pasteurized eggs.
Are all eggs pasteurized?
Solely a small minority of shell eggs produced within the U.S. are pasteurized—and those which can be accessible are notably costlier because of the added time and processing concerned in pasteurization. There are two varieties of pasteurized eggs accessible to shoppers: Pasteurized shell eggs and pasteurized egg merchandise.
How do you pasteurize eggs?
Pasteurization entails heating a product, like eggs or dairy, to a particular temperature for a particular period of time with a view to destroy dangerous pathogens.
Pasteurized shell eggs (or just eggs of their shell) are bought intact and bear a particular water bathtub that heats them to the right temperature, however with out truly cooking them. “Sort of like the method of constructing a hard-boiled egg,” says Hovis, “however at a a lot decrease temperature (130°F to 140°F) and for a for much longer time period (60 minutes) to verify the eggs are nonetheless runny and by no means cooked (within the conventional sense).” Hovis additionally notes that after cooling, the eggs are coated in a protecting wax to forestall recontamination then stamped with a “P” to point their pasteurized standing.
Pasteurized egg merchandise are eggs which have been faraway from their shells and are sometimes bought in cardboard cartons. These merchandise embrace entire eggs, egg whites, and egg yolks. Hovis explains that the USDA requires by regulation all egg merchandise (referring to eggs out of their shells) to be pasteurized. Nevertheless, the pasteurization course of for these merchandise is way quicker, which means that egg merchandise are cheaper and extra extensively accessible than pasteurized shell eggs.
Hovis says that pasteurized eggs are fit for human consumption with out cooking, since they’ve been heat-treated to kill off harmful pathogens. “That stated,” she explains, “they have to be dealt with safely to forestall re-contamination and saved at correct temperatures (41°F or under) earlier than use.”
The way to use pasteurized eggs
Pasteurized eggs received’t carry out precisely like their uncooked counterparts—they’ve a thinner and runnier consistency and received’t cook dinner up as firmly—however they arrive fairly shut. Pasteurized shell eggs are most well-liked for preparations that require an intact egg or egg yolk; for instance, a sunny-side-up egg or a cured egg yolk. Liquid egg merchandise can be utilized in a mess of the way—entire egg merchandise are for baking, omelets, and scrambles, whereas liquid whites work properly for meringue-based desserts (although they received’t whip up fairly as properly as uncooked egg whites).
Liquid egg yolks are much less widespread than liquid egg whites however can normally be discovered at restaurant provide shops and make a fantastic swap for mayonnaise and even carbonara. Whereas they will not be an ideal substitute in each recipe, pasteurized eggs are a fantastic possibility for individuals who wish to keep away from the dangers related to uncooked eggs however nonetheless wish to take pleasure in among the many dishes that use them.
