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Eggnog Tips for Ringing in the New Year!

EggnogPhoto: Canva.com
Eggnog Photo: Canva.com

As we turn the calendar to a new year, many are planning to celebrate with New Year’s Eve parties. One festive beverage commonly served is eggnog made with raw eggs. Here are some tips to safely ring in the new year and keep Salmonella bacteria away from your party.

  • Alcohol does not kill bacteria. Heat is the only way to kill bacteria.
  • Adding hot coffee to eggnog made with raw eggs will not make it safe. When adding cold eggnog to hot coffee, the temperature drops too much. The best tip is to cook the eggnog to a minimum 160°F to kill Salmonella.
  • Store-bought eggnog is pasteruized and is a safe alternative to raw egg eggnog recipes. This heats the eggs to a high temperature for a short time to kill any bacteria that may be present.
  • Use egg substitutes or pasteurized eggs in place of raw eggs.

Making your own eggnog? Cook the eggs in part of the milk, along with other ingredients to make a hot custard mixture. Heat gently in a large heavy saucepan or double boiler, to prevent scorching, to a minimum 160°F. Chill this mixture and add other ingredients before serving. Here’s a recipe from the American Egg Board.

Happy New Year!

Source: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/12/busting-eggnog-myths-for-new-years-eve-safety/

 

Easter Egg Hunt Alternatives

Plastic Easter Eggs
Photo: Canva.com

If you have shopped for eggs lately, they have been pricey and in short supply. Start planning now for alternatives to have fun on Easter in place of the traditional egg hunt.

  • Use plastic eggs and fill them with treats or fun Spring items. These eggs are reusable for years to come. Mix up the egg colors, then have the kids match them as an extra activity after the hunt.
  • Plan a scavenger hunt for spring items around your house or outside. Make it educational to learn numbers or the alphabet.
  • Get out the paint or colored pencils and paper and have a contest to draw the best Easter egg, a bunny or Spring flower.

 

Preparing Hard Boiled Eggs

Deviled Eggs
Deviled Eggs
Photo: Canva.com

Deviled eggs are a popular Spring appetizer for Easter meals and potlucks. The trick is getting the perfect hard boiled egg.

Fresh eggs that are hard boiled can be difficult to peel. It is best to purchase fresh eggs about one week in advance for success. Keep them refrigerated until ready to use.

To prepare hard boiled eggs on the stovetop, place fresh eggs in a sauce pan and cover with water by one inch. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Remove from the burner and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 20 minutes. This helps keep the eggs tender and not get rubbery. Place the pan in the sink and allow cold water to pour over the hot eggs until they are cool. Remove eggs from the water and chill in the refrigerator. They can be store up to one week, unpeeled.

To peel the eggs, gently tap the eggs on a surface to crack the shell all around the egg. It helps to run the egg under water to pull the shell away from the egg. Once peeled, they can be used immediately. Keep cold in the refrigerator and use within one to two days.

Learn more at USDA Shell Eggs from Farm to Table.

 

Easter Egg Safety

Easter is here and plans are being made to decorate eggs.

Dyeing eggs is a creative fun activity. After hard boiling eggs, dye them and store in the refrigerator. Use food-safe coloring or natural colors from other foods.

If using these eggs for the annual egg hunt, chose hiding locations protected from dirt, moisture, pets or other contamination. If eggs get cracked, toss them. Set out and hunt the eggs within two hours to keep them safe.

For more information, see USDA Eggs from Farm to Table.

Always wash your hands, all equipment and work surfaces before and after handling raw eggs.

 

Egg Substitutes

egg
Photo: Canva.com

The price of eggs has consumers scratching them off their shopping list. Here are some options to replace eggs in your recipes based on what function the egg is providing.

Boiled egg—use 2 ounces extra-firm tofu for each hard boiled egg.

Binding ingredients in baking— For each egg, use 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water, let stand 5 minutes. This makes a gel and helps hold ingredients together.

Leavening in baking—Use the chia or flax seed mixture above plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder for each egg.

For moistness in baking—use 1/4 cup applesauce, mashed banana, pureed avocado, pureed garbanzo beans, or silken tofu.

Buy eggs when on sale and freeze them for later use.

Source: eatright.org

 

Let the Easter Egg Hunt Begin!

Easter eggsSometimes eggs are decorated, used as decorations, and hunted at Easter. Here are some safety tips.

  • Dyeing eggs: After hard cooking eggs, dye them and  refrigerate within 2 hours. Use a food-safe coloring.
  • Blowing out eggshells: Use caution when blowing out the contents to hollow out the shell for decorating. Use eggs that have been kept refrigerated and are uncracked. To destroy bacteria that may be present on the surface of the egg, wash the egg in hot water and then rinse in a solution of 1 teaspoon liquid chlorine bleach per half cup of water. After blowing out the egg, refrigerate the contents and use within 2 to 4 days.
  • Hunting Eggs: If hard cooked eggs have been lying on the ground, they can pick up bacteria, especially if the shells are cracked. If the shells crack, bacteria could contaminate the inside. The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should not exceed 2 hours. Refrigerate and use “found” eggs within 7 days of cooking.

Learn more at USDA Shell Eggs from Farm to Table

Photo: USDA Flickr

Safety of Spaghetti alla carbanara

spaghetti carbanara
Spaghetti alla carbanara
Photo: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643820301031

Spaghetti alla carbanara is a an Italian dish with a sauce made from raw eggs. The eggs are heated by the residual heat from the cooked pasta. But that heat treatment may not be sufficient to inactivate potential Salmonella bacteria.

Research was conducted by inoculating the beaten egg mixture with five strains of Salmonella. The recipe was prepared and temperatures were taken at various points to determine if the heat treatment reduced the Salmonella. It was found that the Salmonella was reduced by about half, but there was still enough viable bacteria to potentially cause foodborne illness.

Without knowing if eggs are contaminated or not, it is best to use pasteurized eggs to effectively reduce contamination risks. This is especially important for older adults and those with immuno-compromised health.

 

Making Pickled Eggs

pickled eggs
Pickled eggs Photo: Canva.com

There are no home canning directions safely pickle eggs. Home pickled eggs stored at room temperature can lead to botulism.

For safe pickled eggs, they must be refrigerated. Eggs are hard-cooked, peeled and cooled. Then a pickling solution is made, boiled and poured over the peeled eggs. Store in a container that can be closed or sealed tightly. Canning jars are a good choice. A quart-sized canning jar will hold about one dozen medium-sized eggs. The eggs should be completely covered with the pickling solution.

See the National Center for Home Food Preservation for recipes and instructions.

 

What is the White Spot on Egg Yolks?

Have you noticed a white spot on fresh egg yolks? That is a germinal disc. It is an indication if the egg is fertile or not.

A non-fertile germ spot will look solid white because it contains the female’s cells only. A fertile germ spot will have a somewhat clear center. A rooster must be present with the hens for an egg to be fertilized.

At egg farms where eggs are produced for human consumption, roosters are not present. Therefore the eggs you buy at grocery stores are non-fertile.

Source: https://bit.ly/2Kna9rA

 

Storing Eggs Safely

Eggs
When buying eggs, always open the carton and check eggs for cracks or other damage.

Storing eggs safely is important for quality and safety. Some older methods of storing eggs are not recommended today due to advancements and knowledge of egg safety. One method that has recently surfaced is storing eggs in lime water which is not recommended.

When this method was popular in the early 1900’s, they thought that eggs were sterile inside and all bacteria came through the shell after the eggs were laid.  But research shows that Salmonella enteritidis can contaminate the eggs as they are being formed inside the reproductive organ of the hen and there is no way a person can know it is there or not.

Since the method requires using unwashed eggs, they will likely come from smaller flocks. A study from Penn State University determined that small, home flocks have a much higher incidence of Salmonella than large commercial operations.

Another concern is about using lime water and the fact that it could seep through the egg shell. The risk of storing eggs for long periods of time include loss of nutrients, several oxidative reactions, changes in protein functionality, and a strong bitter taste from the lime.

A study from USDA Agricultural Research Service compares how eggs are stored in Europe and how eggs are stored in the U.S. Results showed that refrigeration is best for safety and quality.

Learn more about safe egg storage in this USDA publication, Shell Eggs from Farm to Table.