Did You Know?

Did you know? Did know you should wash those eggs just before cracking them?  Preparing food is more than just chopping, measuring and cooking.  In addition to other food safety rules, here are some safety rules regarding eggs to keep you healthy.

Do not wash those eggs before storing in the refrigerator.  Instead, wash those raw eggs just before cracking them open to cook..  Did you know using raw egg whites in uncooked desserts can be just as dangerous as using raw egg yolks. E coli and salmonella are two dangerous bacteria living on the outside of the eggshells.  Cracking your raw eggs open allows the bacteria to enter the eggs and contaminate them.  Here are some examples to think about.

When making a salad dressing, or mayo or mixture that calls for raw egg, bring a small pot of water to the boil, lower your unshelled raw egg into the boiling water and simmer for 1 minute.  Quickly, with a slotted spoon,  remove the egg and it run under cold water.  Crack the top of the shell and peel back the top. Dump out or use a small teaspoon to scoop out the egg into a cup.  Proceed with your recipe.

Looking back over some old Portuguese sweets, Natas de Ceu in particular, the common use of whipped raw egg whites is really risky.  Boil your unshelled egg for exactly one minute and then separate the egg whites or beat your egg whites to soft peaks then poach them in water or milk before layering.

Did you know countries like Greece and Portugal make their Easter sweet breads adorned with eggs that have been baked in the dough?  Once the egg is cooked it should be eaten within a couple of hours.  If you purchase Easter breads in supermarkets and bakeries, they are many hours old since they were removed from the ovens, cooled, wrapped and delivered for sale.  These are not healthy eggs to eat.  That stomach pain you got could be from those eggs that decorated the bread.

Simple things, we sometimes are unaware of, can cause us harm.  Hope this tip was helpful!