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Furnishings & DecorIt is likely that almost each person involved in your operation is familiar with eggs. Not only are eggs extremely functional, they have enormous applications, from garnishes to side dishes, appetizers to entrees. Eggs are also economical when compared with other sources of protein. Eggs require little labour to prepare. Add to this their low cost and you can see the financial benefit of cooking with eggs. But knowing how to safely buy, store, handle and cook eggs, and the foods that contain eggs, is important. What follows is a quick review of egg storage, handling, preparation, and safety.
Storage tips
• Refrigerate at 5°C or below. Do not freeze.
• Store shell eggs in their case and away from foods with strong odours, such as fish, cabbage, or onions.
• Rotate the eggs: first in, first out.
• Eggs can be kept refrigerated in their carton for at least four to five weeks beyond the pack date.
Handling tips
• Always wash your hands when handling eggs.
• Take out only as many eggs as needed for immediate use. Do not stack egg trays near the grill.
• Use only clean, un-cracked eggs.
• Eggs should not be washed before using. They are washed and sanitised before they are packed.
• Never mix the shell with the internal contents of an egg.
• Do not re-use a container after it has had a raw egg mixture in it. Clean and sanitise it thoroughly before using it again.
Preparation tips
It is not necessary to cook eggs until hard or rubbery in order to kill any bacteria that may be present. Egg whites coagulate between 62°C and 65°C and yolks between 65°C and 70°C. Therefore, whole eggs cooked until the white is set (completely coagulated and firm) and the yolk beginning to thicken (no longer runny but not hard) are considered to have met necessary time and temperature requirements for safety. Scrambled eggs need to be cooked until firm throughout.
Safety
• A good rule of thumb is that whole eggs should be cooked until the white is completely coagulated (set) with the yolk beginning to thicken.
• Cook scrambled eggs in small batches until there is no visible liquid egg, according to the rate of service.
• Pooling eggs, the practice of breaking large quantities of eggs together and holding before or after cooking, greatly increases the risk of bacteria contamination.
• Never leave eggs or egg-containing dishes at room temperature for more than one hour, including preparation and service.
• Egg dishes for those who are pregnant, elderly, very young, or ill should be thoroughly cooked.
• Hold cold egg dishes below 4°C and hot egg dishes above 60°C. Do not hold hot foods on a buffet line for longer than 30 minutes.
• Do not combine eggs that have been held in a steam table pan with a fresh batch of eggs. Always use a fresh steam table pan.
• Do not add raw egg mixture to a batch of cooked scrambled eggs to be held on a steam table.
• When refrigerating a large quantity of hot, egg-rich dishes or leftovers, divide into several shallow containers so they will cool quickly.
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