Filters:  #  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  All

Air Cell The empty space between the white and shell at the large end of the egg. When an egg is first laid, it is warm. As it cools, the contents contract and the inner shell membrane separates from the outer shell membrane to form the air cell. The candler uses the size of the air cell as one basis for determining grade. In Grade AA eggs, the air cell may not exceed 1/8-inch in depth and is about the size of a dime. The air cell of Grade A eggs may exceed 3/16-inch in depth. For Grade B eggs, there is no limit on air cell size. As the egg ages, moisture and carbon dioxide leave through the pores of the shell, air enters to replace them and the air cell becomes larger. Although the air cell usually forms in the large end of the egg, it occasionally moves freely toward the uppermost point of the egg as the egg is rotated. It is then called a free or floating air cell. If the main air cell ruptures, resulting in one or more small separate air bubbles floating beneath the main air cell, it is known as a bubbly air cell. You can see the air cell in the flattened end of a peeled, hard-cooked egg.   Albumen Also known as egg white. Albumen accounts for most of an egg's liquid weight, about 67%. It contains more than half the egg's total protein, niacin, riboflavin, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulfur. The albumen consists of 4 alternating layers of thick and thin consistencies. From the yolk outward, they are designated as the inner thick or chalaziferous white, the inner thin white, the outer thick white and the outer thin white. Egg white tends to thin out as an egg ages because its protein changes in character. That's why fresh eggs sit up tall and firm in the pan while older ones tend to spread out. Albumen is more opalescent than truly white. The cloudy appearance comes from carbon dioxide. As the egg ages, carbon dioxide escapes, so the albumen of older eggs is more transparent than that of fresher eggs. When egg albumen is beaten vigorously, it foams and increases in volume 6 to 8 times. Egg foams are essential for making souffles, meringues, puffy omelets, and angel food and sponge cakes. -see Breakout, Chalaza, Color, white, Composition, Cooking Functions, Cooking Terms, Foam, Formation, Grading, Nutrient   Baked Baked (also known as shirred).  For each serving, break and slip 2 eggs into a greased ramekin, shallow baking dish or 10-ounce custard cup.  Spoon 1 tablespoon half and half, light cream or milk over eggs.  Bake in preheated 325oF oven until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 12 to 18 minutes, depending on number of servings being baked.  Related Words  Cooking Methods Beaters In the old days, cooks had to rely on muscle power to whip eggs.  They used an assortment of whisks, large and small, flat and balloon-shaped, many of which are still available.  A really determined good cook could whip up an angel food cake by separating the egg whites onto a large platter and attacking them vigorously with a hickory rod. In 1870, the rotary hand beater was invented, beating out all competition along with mountains of meringue.  It is still a handy and inexpensive tool.  Most used today are the electric stand mixer or the portable electric mixer.  Blenders and some food processors can whip up a whole egg, a yolk, or a mixture, but they will not produce stiffly beaten egg whites.   Biological Value A measurement of protein quality expressing the rate of efficiency with which protein is used for growth. Egg contains the highest quality food protein known. It is so nearly perfect, in fact, that egg protein is often the standard by which all other proteins are judged. Based on the essential amino acids it provides, egg protein  is second only to mother's milk for human nutrition. On a scale with 100 representing top efficiency, these are the biological values of proteins in several foods.* -see Nutrient, Protein   Whole Egg 93.7   Milk 84.5   Fish 76.0   Beef 74.32   Soybeans 72.8   Rice, polished 64.0   Wheat, whole 64.0   Corn 60.0   Beans, dry 58.0 *Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The Amino Acid Content of Foods and Biological Data on Proteins. Nutritional Study #24. Rome (1970). UNIPUB, Inc., 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706   Blood Spots Also called meat spots. Occasionally found on an egg yolk. Contrary to popular opinion, these tiny spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Rather, they are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct. Less than 1% of all eggs produced have blood spots. Mass candling methods reveal most eggs with blood spots and those eggs are removed but, even with electronic spotters, it is impossible to catch all of them. As an egg ages, the yolk takes up water from the albumen to dilute the blood spot so, in actuality, a blood spot indicates that the egg is fresh. Both chemically and nutritionally, these eggs are fit to eat. The spot can be removed with the tip of a knife, if you wish.   Bloom The coating or covering on the egg shell that seals its pores. Bloom, also called cuticle, helps to prevent bacteria from getting inside the shell and reduces moisture loss from the egg. Eggs are washed before they are sent to market. This is necessary for cleanliness, but it removes the bloom. To restore the protection, packers give the eggs a light coating of edible mineral oil. -see Oiling, Processing   Blown-Out Eggshells Shells from which the edible part of the egg has been emptied. With nothing inside to spoil, empty eggshells can be decorated to keep indefinitely. The contents can be used in any thoroughly cooked recipe which calls for mixed yolks and whites. It's easy to empty an eggshell. First, wash and dry the egg. Prick with a long needle to make a small hole in the small end of the egg and a large hole in the large end of the egg. Stick the needle into the yolk to break it. Then, either shake the egg large-end-down over a cup or bowl until the contents come out or use a baster to pull out the contents. Press the bulb of the baster to expel the air it contains, then insert the tip into the egg. Release the bulb to pull out the contents. If the contents don't come out easily, insert the needle again and move it around to be sure both the shell membranes and yolk are broken. Rinse the shell under cool running water and let it dry. Be careful when decorating empty shells-they're quite fragile. Label containers in which you store the insides of these eggshells with the number of eggs they contain. Use them immediately in a fully cooked dish or freeze them for later use. Most baked dishes such as casseroles, custards, quiches, cakes or breads are good uses for eggs emptied from their shells. -see Freezing Eggs   Boiled Eggs A misnomer for eggs cooked in the shell. Although hard and soft-boiled are terms often used in conversation, the proper term is hard or soft-cooked. Eggs should not be boiled because high temperatures make them tough and rubbery. -see Cooking Methods, cooked in the shell   Bowls There has long been a great controversy about the merits, if any, of the copper bowl in producing volume in beaten egg whites.  The fact is that the copper in the bowl reacts with the conalbumin of the egg whites much like cream of tartar to stabilize the egg white foam. A strailess steel or glass bowl with the addition of cream of tartar works just as well and is much less expensive. Plastic and wooden bowls are not suitable for beating egg whites because they tend to absorb fat.  Any film or residue will keep the shites from forming a stable foam. Size and shape of bowls are important.  Use the bowl size, large or small, specified in a recipe when using an electric stand mixer.  A deep bowl with enough room for expansion is best for a rotary beater or portable elecric mixer.  For hand whipping with a balloon whisk, the bowl should be rounded at the bottom, at least 10 inches across the top and 5 or 6 inches deep.    Breakers Processors who convert shell eggs into egg products. Breaking plants are under strict USDA inspection and are as clean as clean can be. They use a fascinating array of modern equipment to break eggs and separate the shell, white and yolk. -see Egg Products   Breakout A system of quality control. Sample eggs selected at random are broken out onto a level surface and the height of the thick albumen is measured with a micrometer. This measurement is then correlated with the weight of the egg to give a Haugh unit measurement. A high Haugh value means high egg quality. At the same time, the condition of the yolk is observed. Related Words  Grades; Grades - Grade AA; Grades - Grade B; Grades- Grade A; Grading Calories The Calorie count for eggs varies with size.  Here is the calorie score for one egg in different sizes. EGG SIZE CALORIES Medium 66 Large 75 Extra Large 84 Jumbo 94   Candling The step in grading that lets the egg grader look inside the egg without breaking it to judge its quality. Long ago this was done by holding the egg up before a candle. Some hand candling, using electric equipment, of course, is still used for spot-checking or for training egg graders, but today most eggs pass on rollers over high-intensity lights which make the interior of the egg visible. The eggs are rotated so all parts can be seen. The candler checks the size of the air cell and the distinctness of the yolk outline. Imperfections such as blood spots show up in candling. Very large packing plants may also use electronic blood detectors. ~see Air Cell, Blood Spots, Grading   Carton Dates Egg cartons from USDA-inspected plants must display a Julian date -- the date the eggs were packed. Although not required, they may also carry an expiration date beyond which the eggs should not be sold. In USDA-inspected plants, this date cannot exceed 30 days after the pack date. It may be less through choice of the packer or quantity purchaser such as your local supermarket chain. Plants not under USDA inspection are governed by laws of their states.   Chalaza Ropey strands of egg white which anchor the yolk in place in the center of the thick white. They are neither imperfections nor beginning embryos. The more prominent the chalazae, the fresher the egg. Chalazae do not interfere with the cooking or beating of the white and need not be removed, although some cooks like to strain them from stirred custard.   Cholesterol One Large egg contains 213 mg cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in every living cell in the body. It is made in necessary amounts by the body and is stored in the body. It is especially concentrated in the liver, kidney, adrenal glands and the brain. Cholesterol is required for the structure of cell walls, must be available for the body to produce vitamin D, is essential to the production of digestive juices, insulates nerve fibers and is the basic building block for many  hormones. In other words, cholesterol is essential for life. Your body produces all the cholesterol it needs. Most of the cholesterol found in the blood and tissues come from this internal synthesis. However, dietary excesses —too many calories, too much fat and saturated fat and high intakes of cholesterol—may increase the level in the blood. Saturated fat has the greatest influence on raising blood cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol, found in all foods from animals, does not automatically raise blood cholesterol levels. Generally the body compensates for dietary cholesterol by synthesizing smaller amounts in the liver, by excreting more or by absorbing less. Elevated blood cholesterol does increase the risk of heart disease. You should know your blood cholesterol level and follow your doctor's advice if it is elevated. In a blood cholesterol-lowering diet, cutting down on fat and saturated fat is the most important change you can make. Although egg yolks are usually restricted, it is rarely necessary to avoid them completely, and egg whites can be used freely. Despite rumors to the contrary, eggs laid by Aracauna fowl, eggs laid by free-running hens and fertilized eggs do not contain less cholesterol than regular supermarket eggs. Cooking does not affect the cholesterol content of eggs. ~see Fat Related Words  Fat Cleaning Washing eggs to remove any dirt or stains. Shortly after eggs are laid in modern laying houses, they are gathered and moved to automated washing equipment. Strict federal regulations specify the procedures and cleaning compounds that may be used. Today most eggs are cleaned in mechanical egg washers employing sprayers, brushes, detergent-sanitizers, rinses and dryers. Only clean eggs go to market. In washing, the bloom is removed, so a light, tasteless, natural mineral oil may be applied to replace it. ~see Bloom Related Words  Bloom Coddler A small cup made of porcelain, heat-proof glass or pottery with a screw-on top. An egg is broken into the cup, the top screwed on and the cup submerged in simmering water until the egg is cooked. The egg is eaten directly from the coddler.   Color Egg shell and yolk color may vary, but color has nothing to do with egg quality, flavor, nutritive value, cooking characteristics or shell thickness.   • Shell: The color comes from pigments in the outer layer of the shell and may range in various breeds from white to deep brown. The breed of hen determines the color of the shell. Breeds with white feathers and ear lobes lay white eggs; breeds with red feathers and ear lobes lay brown eggs. White eggs are most in demand among American buyers. In some parts of the country, however, particularly in New England, brown shells are preferred. The Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire and Plymouth Rock are breeds that lay brown eggs. Since brown-egg layers are slightly larger birds and require more food, brown eggs are usually more expensive than white.   • White: Egg albumen in raw eggs is opalescent and does not appear white until it is beaten or cooked. A yellow or greenish cast in raw white may indicate the presence of riboflavin. Cloudiness of the raw white is due to the presence of carbon dioxide which has not had time to escape through the shell and thus indicates a very fresh egg. On very rare occasions, a hard-cooked egg white may darken to a caramel shade due to a high amount of iron in the cooking water or to a carbonylamine-type reaction. Using fresh eggs and cooling them quickly after cooking helps to prevent this darkening.   • Yolk: Color depends on the diet of the hen. If she gets plenty of yellow-orange plant pigments known as xanthophylls, they will be deposited in the yolk. Hens fed mashes containing yellow corn and alfalfa meal lay eggs with medium yellow yolks, while those eating wheat or barley yield lighter-colored yolks. A colorless diet, such as white cornmeal produces almost colorless yolks. Natural yellow-orange substances such as marigold petals may be added to light-colored feeds to enhance yolk color. Artificial color additives are not permitted. Gold or lemon-colored yolks are preferred by most buyers in this country. Yolk pigments are relatively stable and are not lost or changed in cooking.  Sometimes there is a greenish ring around hard-cooked egg yolks. It is the result of sulfur and iron compounds in the egg reacting at the surface of the yolk. It may occur when eggs are overcooked or when there is a high amulet of iron in the cooking water. Although the color may be a bit unappealing, the eggs are still wholesome and nutritious and their flavor is unaffected. Greenish yolks can best be avoided by using the proper cooking time and temperature and by rapidly cooling the cooked eggs. Occasionally several concentric green rings may be seen in hard-cooked egg yolks. A yolk develops within the hen in rings. Iron in the hen's feed or water as the rings are formed may cause this coloring. Sometimes a large batch of scrambled eggs may turn green. Although not pretty, the color change is harmless. It is due to a chemical change brought on by heat and occurs when eggs are cooked at too high a temperature, held for too long or both. Using stainless steel equipment and low cooking temperature, cooking in small batches and serving as soon as possible after cooking will help to prevent this. If it is necessary to hold scrambled eggs for a short time before serving, it helps to avoid direct heat. Place a pan of hot water between the pan of eggs and the heat source.   Composition   Cooked in the Shell Eggs in their shells cooked in water. Place eggs in single layer in a saucepan and add enough water to come at least 1 inch above eggs.  Cover and quickly bring just to boiling.  Turn off heat.  If necessary, remove the pan from the burner to prevent further boiling.  Let the eggs stand, covered, in the hot water, the proper amount of time. Related Words  Cooking Methods Cooker An electric appliance which steam-cooks eggs in the shell. Most egg cookers also have inserts or cups for steam-poaching. Some also have a flat insert for cooking omelets, fried eggs or scrambled eggs.   Cooking Equipment Especially for Eggs Egg cooking can be as simple as you want it to be. If you enjoy fancying up things a bit, there are several pieces of equipment and specialty gadgets you may find interesting. Related Words  Coddler; Cooker; Crepe Pan; Cup; Custard Cups; Omelet Pan; Piercer; Poacher; Quiche Dish; Ring; Scissors; Separator; Slicer; Souffle Dish; Wedger Cooking Functions While eggs are widely known as breakfast entrees, they also perform in many other ways for the knowledgeable cook. Their cooking properties are so varied, in fact, that they have been called "the cement that holds the castle of cuisine together." Eggs can bind ingredients as in meatloaves or croquettes. They can also leaven such baked high rises as souffles and sponge cakes. Their thickening talent is seen in custards and sauces. They emulsify mayonnaise, salad dressings and Hollandaise sauce and are frequently used to coat or glaze breads and cookies. They clarify soups and coffee. In boiled candies and frostings, they retard crystallization. As a finishing touch, they can be hard cooked and used as a garnish.   Cooking Methods There are five basic methods for cooking eggs. The basic principle of egg cooking is to use a medium to low temperature and time carefully. When eggs are cooked at too high a temperature or for too long at a low temperature, whites shrink and become tough and rubbery; yolks become tough and their surface may turn gray-green. Eggs, other than hard-cooked, should be cooked until the whites are completely coagulated and the yolks begin to thicken.   Cooking Terms Certain terms or phrases occur with regularity in egg recipes. Here are many of them along with an explanation.   • Cook until knife inserted near center comes out clean:  Baked custard mixtures are done when a metal knife inserted off center comes out clean. The very center still may not be quite done, but the heat retained in the mixture will continue to cook it after removal from the oven. Cooking longer may result in a curdled and/or weeping custard. Cooking a shorter period may result in a thickened but not set custard.   • Cook until just coats a metal spoon:  For stirred custard mixtures, the eggs are cooked to the proper doneness when a thin film adheres to a metal spoon dipped into the custard. This point of coating a metal spoon is 20 to 30 degrees below boiling. Stirred custards should not boil. The finished product should be soft and thickened but not set. Stirred custards will thicken slightly after refrigeration.   • Slightly beaten:  Use a fork or whisk to beat eggs just until the yolks and whites are blended.   • Well beaten:  Use a mixer, blender, beater or whisk to beat eggs until they are light, frothy and evenly colored.   • Thick and lemon-colored:  Beat yolks at high speed with an electric mixer until they become a pastel yellow and form ribbons when the beater is lifted or they are dropped from a spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. Although yolks can't incorporate as much air as whites, this beating does create a foam and is important to airy concoctions such as sponge cakes.   • Add a small amount of hot mixture to eggs/egg yolks:  When eggs or egg yolks are added to a hot mixture all at once, they may begin to coagulate too rapidly and form lumps. So, stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the yolks to warm them and then stir the warmed egg yolk mixture into the remaining hot mixture. This is called tempering.   • Room temperature:  Some recipes call for eggs to be at room temperature before eggs are to be combined with a fat and sugar. Cold eggs could harden the fat in such a recipe and the batter might become curdled. This could affect the texture of the finished product. Remove eggs from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before using them or put them in a bowl of warm water while assembling other ingredients. For all other recipes, however, use eggs straight from the refrigerator.   • Separated:  Fat inhibits the foaming of egg whites. Since egg yolks contain fat, they are often separated from the whites and the whites beaten separately to allow them to reach their fullest possible volume. Eggs are easiest to separate when cold, but whites reach their fullest volume if allowed to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before beating. Many inexpensive egg separators are available. To separate, tap the midpoint of the egg sharply against a hard surface. Holding the egg over the bowl in which you want the whites, pull the halves apart gently. Let the yolk nestle into the cup like center of the separator and the white will drop through the slots into the bowl beneath. Drop 1 egg white at a time into a cup or small bowl and then transfer it to the mixing bowl before separating another egg. This avoids the possibility of yolk from the last egg getting into several whites. Drop the yolk into another mixing bowl if needed in the recipe or into a storage container if not.   • Add cream of tartar:  Egg whites beat to greater volume than most other foods including whipping cream, but the air beaten into them can be lost quite easily. A stabilizing agent such as cream of tartar is added to the whites to make the foam more stable. Lemon juice works much the same way.   • Add sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time:  When making meringues and some cakes, sugar is slowly added to beaten egg whites. This serves to increase the stability of the foam. Sugar, however, can retard the foaming of the whites and must be added slowly so as not to decrease the volume. Beat the whites until foamy, then slowly beat in the sugar.   • Stiff but not dry:  Beat whites with a mixer, beater or whisk just until they no longer slip when the bowl is tilted. (A blender or food processor will not aerate them properly.) If egg whites are under beaten, the finished product may be heavier and less puffy than desired. If egg whites are over beaten, they may form clumps which are difficult to blend into other foods in the mixture and the finished product may lack volume.   • Stiff peaks form:  Stiff but not dry.   • Soft peaks or piles softly:  Whites that have been beaten until high in volume but not beaten to the stiff peak stage. When beater is lifted, peaks will form and curl over slightly.   • Gently folded:  When combining beaten egg whites with other heavier mixtures, handle carefully so that the air beaten into the whites is not lost. It's best to pour the heavier mixture onto the beaten egg whites. Then gradually combine the ingredients with a downward stroke into the bowl, across, up and over the mixture motion, using a spoon or rubber spatula. Come up through the center of the mixture about every three strokes and rotate the bowl as you are folding. Fold just until there are no streaks remaining in the mixture. Don't stir because this will force air out of the egg whites. If you have a stand mixer, put the mixing bowl on the turntable for easier turning as you fold.   Creme of tartar An acid ingredient which stabilizes beaten egg whites. As a rule of thumb, use 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar per egg white or 1 teaspoon per cup of egg whites. For meringues, use 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar for each 2 egg whites. Related Words  Cooking Terms Creme Puff A light, but rich, hollow pastry puff which may be filled with a sweet filling for dessert or with a savory one such as chicken salad for a main dish.  Called choux pastry after the French word for cabbage, cream puffs do come out of the oven looking like little cabbages.  A high proportion of eggs is necessary to form the structure of the cream puff.  The egg yolk helps to emulsify the fat.    Crepe A light, thin, egg-rich pancake. The word is French, but the crepe is so versatile that you'll find it in many other languages. It's a Russian blini, a Jewish blintz, a Chinese egg roll, a Greek krep or a Hungarian palascinta. Depending on the filling, it can be an appetizer, a main dish or a dessert. Crepe batter should be the consistency of heavy cream.  Letting it rest for an hour or so after mixing allows the flour to absorb moisture and lets the air bubbles dissipate so that the crepe does not have tiny holes. Crepes can be made in advance, stacked, wrapped and refrigerated for a few days, then reheated to serve.  For longer storage, double wrap and freeze.    Crepe Pan A shallow, slope-sided skillet, 6 to 8 inches in diameter. These range from inexpensive, lightweight pans to sophisticated electric models, some of which cook the crepes on what appears to be the outside of the pan. Crepes can be made in almost any small shallow pan with sloping sides. A small omelet pan will do a nice double-duty job.   Cup A small container designed to hold a soft-cooked egg upright in its shell for table service.   Curdling Also known as syneresis or weeping. When egg mixtures such as custards or sauces are cooked too rapidly, the protein becomes over-coagulated and separates from the liquid leaving a mixture resembling fine curds and whey. If curdling has not progressed too far, it may sometimes be reversed by removing the mixture from the heat and stirring or beating vigorously. To prevent syneresis or curdling, use a low temperature, stir, if appropriate for the recipe, and cool quickly by setting the pan in a bowl of ice or cold water and stirring for a few minutes. The term curdling is usually used in connection with a stirred mixture such as custard sauce, while weeping or syneresis are more often used with reference to pie meringues or baked custards.   Custard A cooked mixture of eggs and milk with sugar and flavoring sometimes added. There are two basic kinds of custard—stirred and baked. Stirred custard, also known as soft custard, custard sauce or, erroneously, boiled custard, is cooked on top of the range to a creamy, but pourable, consistency. Although some cooks like to cook the mixture in a double boiler over hot water, a heavy saucepan over low heat works as well. Stirred custard is eaten as a pudding or served over cake or fruit. Baked custard is cooked in a water bath in the oven and has a firm, but, delicate, gel-like consistency. It is a dessert in itself or it may serve as a base for toppings and sauces. Unsweetened baked custard can become a quiche or timbale. The usual custard proportions are 1 egg plus 2 tablespoons sugar for each cup of milk. This is the minimum ratio of eggs to milk which will produce a properly thickened custard, although as many as 4 eggs may be used and the sugar may be increased to 4 tablespoons. Increasing the sugar makes the custard less firm and lengthens the cooking time. Increasing the egg makes the custard more firm and shortens the cooking time. Two egg yolks may be substituted for 1 whole egg. Two egg whites will also thicken the custard as much as 1 whole egg but the characteristic color and flavor will be missing.   Custard Cups Small, deep, individual bowl-shaped dishes designed for oven use. They are useful for cooking or serving other foods as well as custards.   Daily Reference Values (DRVs) A new term similar to RDIs for food components not covered by RDIs. Some DRVs are based on reference calorie intakes of 2,000 (average need by post-menopausal women, women who exercise moderately, teenage girls and sedentary men) and 2,500 calories (adequate for young men) and others on dietary recommendations suggested by some health and nutrition groups. Daily Reference Values are intended to serve as a yardstick for food comparisons, not as a strict dietary prescription. Based on you own calorie intake and activity level, your needs may be more or less than the DRVs. There is no DRV for sugars. Other DRVs are: Calorie Intake—2,000*; 2,500 calories, Total Fat—No more than 30% of total calories (less than 65; 80 grams), Saturated Fat—No more than 10% of total calories (less than 20; 25 grams), Cholesterol—Less than 300 milligrams, Total Carbohydrate—At least 55% of total calories (300; 375 grams), Dietary Fiber—11.5 grams per 1,000 calories (25; 30 grams), Protein**—10% of calories for those over 4 (50 grams; 63 grams), Sodium—Less than 2,400 milligrams and Potassium**—3,500 milligrams. *Due to space limitations, food labels will show percentages of DRVs based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Some large labels may also show DRVs (but not percentages) for a 2,5000-calorie diet. **Listing percentages of DRVs for this nutrient on food labels is optional. Related Words  Daily Values (DVs) Daily Values (DVs) A term on new food labels that represents age-adjusted average levels of protein, fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate (including dietary fiber and sugars), vitamins and minerals recommended for various groups of people of different ages and sexes as established by the National Academy of Sciences. Since they are averages, many Daily Value figures are lower than the familiar U.S. RDAs which represented the highest values for each nutrient. In some cases, DVs are also lower due to new nutritional evidence considered by the National Academy. DVs serve as a yardstick for food comparisons and not as a strict dietary prescription. Related Words  Daily Reference Values (DRVs) Decorating Eggs The egg's shape has often inspired artists. It has been the palette for one of the most intriguing of folk arts in many cultures. There is literally no end to the creative possibilities for individual expression on an eggshell. Eggs can be painted or colored with crayons or felt-tipped pens, turned into funny faces, topped with fantastic hats, trimmed with feathers or sequins or simply dyed in an endless variety of hues. However you decide to do it, decorating eggs is fun for grown-ups as well as for kids. Eggs to be decorated may be either hard-cooked eggs or empty eggshells. The hard-cooked variety is a bit more sturdy for children to use, while empty shells are best if you're making an egg tree or want to keep the eggs on display for a considerable time. If eggs are to be dyed, washing in a mild detergent solution helps to remove the oil coating so that the color adheres more evenly. Commercial egg dyes are available especially at the Easter season. Food coloring works, too, but some craftsmen prefer to experiment with their own colors from nature. Eggs simmered in water to cover for 15 minutes with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for each cup of water and your choice of one of the materials below will produce a shade of the color shown. You'll have to use your own judgement about quantities. This is an art—not a science!   Material Color • Fresh beets, cranberries, or radishes or frozen raspberries Pinkish red • Yellow onion skins Orange • Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops,celery seed or ground cumin Delicate yellow • Ground turmeric Yellow • Spinach leaves Pale green • Yellow Delicious apple peels Green-gold • Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves Blue • Strong brewed coffee Beige to brown • Dill seeds Brown-gold • Chili powder Brown-orange • Purple or red grape juice or beet juice Grey   However you decide to color your hard-cooked eggs, follow these tips if you'd like to eat them later: Wash your hands thoroughly before handling the eggs at every step including cooking, cooling, dyeing and hiding. If you won't be coloring your eggs right after cooking them, sore them in their cartons in the refrigerator. Don't color or hide cracked eggs. When coloring the eggs, use water warmer than the eggs and refrigerate them in their cartons right after coloring them. Refrigerate them again after they've been hidden and found and don't eat cracked eggs or eggs that have been out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours. If you plan to use hard-cooked eggs as a centerpiece or other decoration and they will be out of refrigeration for many hours or several days, cook extra eggs to refrigerate for eating and discard the eggs that have been left out as a decoration.   Deviled Eggs Also known as stuffed eggs. Hard-cooked eggs are peeled and cut in half. The yolks are removed, mixed with a moistener such as mayonnaise and seasonings and then piled back into the whites. The word "devil" originally referred to the combination of spices including dry mustard with which the eggs were highly seasoned.   Easter Eggs Eggs were colored, blessed, exchanged and eaten as part of the rites of spring long before Christian times. Even the earliest civilizations held springtime festivals to welcome the sun's rising from its long winter sleep. They thought of the sun's return from darkness as an annual miracle and regarded the egg as a natural wonder and a proof of the renewal of life. As Christianity spread, the egg was adopted as a symbol of Christ's Resurrection from the tomb. For centuries, eggs were among the foods forbidden by the church during Lent, so it was a special treat to have them again at Easter. In Slavic countries, baskets of food including eggs are traditionally taken to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday or before the Easter midnight Mass, then taken home for a part of Easter breakfast. People in central European countries have a long tradition of elaborately decorated Easter eggs. Polish, Slavic and Ukrainian people create amazingly intricate designs on the eggs. They draw lines with a wax pencil or stylus, dip the egg in color and repeat the process many times to make true works of art. Every dot and line in the pattern has a meaning. Yugoslavian Easter eggs bear the initials "XV" for "Christ is Risen," a traditional Easter greeting. The Russians, during the reign of the tsars, celebrated Easter much more elaborately than Christmas, with Easter breads and other special foods and quantities of decorated eggs given as gifts. The Russian royal family carried the custom to great lengths, giving exquisitely detailed jeweled eggs made by goldsmith Carl Faberge from the 1880's until 1917. In Germany and other countries of central Europe, eggs that go into Easter foods are not broken, but emptied out. The empty shells are painted and decorated with bits of lace, cloth or ribbon, then hung with ribbons on an evergreen or small leafless tree. On the third Sunday before Easter, Moravian village girls used to carry a tree decorated with eggshells and flowers from house to house for good luck. The eggshell tree is one of several Easter Traditions carried to America by German settlers especially those who became known as Pennsylvania Dutch. They also brought the fable that the Easter bunny delivered colored eggs for good children. Easter is an especially happy time for children and many Easter customs are for their enjoyment. Hunting Easter eggs hidden around the house or yard is a universal custom and so are egg-rolling contests.   Egg Protein - Inexpensive Protein is an essential part of a nutritious diet but, for many people, foods that supply protein are some of the most expensive items on their grocery list. Fortunately, the protein supplied by eggs is both high in quality and low in cost.  In a USDA study comparing the cost of different sources of protein, eggs and beef liver were rated as two of the best protein buys*. It's easy to compare the price of eggs to the price of other protein foods.  A dozen Large eggs weighs 1 1/2 pounds, so the price per pound of Large eggs = 2/3 of the price per dozen. For example, if the Large eggs cost 90 cents per dozen, they would be 60 cents per pound.  At $1.20 per dozen, they're only 80 cents per pound. Another helpful formula is 1 egg=1ounce of lean meat, fish or poultry.  This means that you can use 2 eggs as a substitute for other protein foods as your main dish at a meal or you can use eggs to "stretch" more expensive protein foods.  For instance, you might use 1 chopped hard-cooked egg per serving along with half the usual amount per serving of an expensive seafood in a casserole. * USDA, Human Nutrition Information Service.  Costs of Meats and Meat alternates.  Washington, D.C. (December, 1984) U.S. Government Printing Office. Related Words  Protein Equinox Either of the two times each year when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of equal length everywhere. During the spring (vernal) equinox (about March 21), it is said that an egg will stand on its small end. Although some people have reported success, it is not known whether such results were due to the equinox or to the peculiarities of that particular egg. Others insist that some eggs will stand on their small ends at any time of the year.   Expiration Date A date on an egg carton beyond which the eggs should not be sold. Related Words  Carton Dates Fat A concentrated source of food energy containing 9 calories per gram. In addition to supplying energy, fat aids in the absorption of certain vitamins, enhances flavor, aroma and mouthfeel of food, and adds satiety to the diet. Fatty acids, the basic chemical units of fat, are either saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Saturated fatty acids are found primarily in fats of animal origin (meat and dairy products) and are usually solids at room temperature. Exceptions are some vegetable oils (palm, palm kernel and coconut) which contain large amounts of saturated fatty acids. Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in fats of both plant and animal origin. They tend to decrease blood cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found primarily in fats of plant origin and in fats of fatty fish. They also tend to decrease blood cholesterol levels. A Large egg contains only about 5 grams of fat—about 1.5 grams saturated and 2.5 grams unsaturated. Egg recipes which are high in fat and/or saturated fat can often be significantly lowed in fat content by making changes in "traditional" recipe ingredients and cooking methods. Related Words  Cholesterol Fertile Eggs Eggs which can be incubated and developed into chicks. Fertile eggs are not more nutritious than nonfertile eggs, do not keep as well as nonfertile eggs and are more expensive to produce. Fertile eggs may contain a small amount of male hormone, but there are no known advantages.   Foam Air bubbles trapped in liquid albumen when egg white is beaten. When egg white is beaten, it becomes foamy, increases 6 to 8 times in volume and stands in peaks. When the foam is heated, the tiny air cells expand and the egg protein coagulates around them, giving permanence to the foam. Egg white foam is responsible for the structure of soufflés, angel food cake, puffy omelets and meringue. Egg whites reach their greatest volume if allowed to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before beating. Fat inhibits the foaming of egg whites, so be sure beaters and bowls are clean and that there is no trace of yolk in the whites. Use only metal or glass bowls because plastic bowls tend to absorb fat. If egg whites are underbeaten, the volume of the finished product will be less than desired. Overbeaten whites form clumps which are difficult to blend with other ingredients. And, because overbeaten egg whites lack elasticity, they cannot expand properly when heated. The finished product may be dry, of poor volume or may even collapse. The addition of an acid ingredient helps to stabilize the foam. The most commonly used acid ingredient is cream of tartar (1/8 teaspoon for each 1 to 2 whites) although some recipes call for lemon juice or vinegar. Since salt decreases foam stability, it is best to add it to other recipe ingredients. Egg white foams should be combined with other ingredients immediately, before they have time to drain or shrink. Egg yolk and whole egg will also form foams, but the volume is much less than the foam of beaten white. Related Words  Cooking Terms; Meringue Formation A hen requires about 24 to 26 hours to produce and egg. Thirty minutes later, she starts all over again. The reproductive system of the hen consists of the ovary, the organ where the yolk develops, and the oviduct where the egg is completed. The ovary is attached to the back about halfway between the neck and the tail. The oviduct, a tubelike organ approximately 26 inches long, is loosely attached to the backbone between the ovary and the tail. Most female animals have two functioning ovaries, but the hen uses only one, the left. The right ovary and oviduct remain dormant. Ovary  A female chick is born with a fully formed ovary containing several thousand tiny ova, or future yolks.  These begin to develop, one at a time, when the pullet reaches sexual maturity. Each yolk is enclosed in its own sac or follicle. The follicle contains a highly developed system of blood vessels which carry nourishment to the developing yolk. At ovulation, the follicle ruptures to release the yolk into the oviduct. A double-yolked egg is the result of two yolks being released at the same time. Rupture occurs at the stigma line, an area of the follicle which has no blood vessels. ~see Blood Spots Oviduct    The infundibulum, also know as the funnel, captures the ovulated yolk. This is where fertilization, if it occurred, would take place. After about 15 minutes, the yolk passes along to the magnum. Here, in approximately 3 hours, the albumen is deposited around the yolk. As the albumen is formed, the yolk rotates, twisting the albumenous fibers to form the chalazae. The next site of activity is the isthmus where the two shell membranes are formed in about 1¼ hours. The egg has now reached it full size and shape. It passes along to the uterus to acquire, after 19 hours, it shell, shell color and bloom. After a few minutes' pause in the vagina, the uterus inverts through the vagina, the cloaca (the junction of the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems) and the vent to release the egg outside the hen's body. Laying of the egg is known  as oviposition. During formation, the egg moves through the oviduct small end first. Just before laying, it is rotated and laid large end first. A young hen lays small eggs. The size increases as she gets older. Related Words  Blood Spots; Ovary; Oviduct Free-Range Eggs True free-range eggs are those produced by hens raised outdoors or that have daily access to the outdoors. Due to seasonal conditions, however, few hens are actually raised outdoors. Some egg farms are indoor floor operations and these are sometimes erroneously referred to as free-range operations. Due to higher production costs and lower volume per farm, free-range eggs are generally more expensive. The nutrient content of eggs is not affected by whether hens are raised free-range or in floor or cage operations.   Freezing Eggs If you receive a windfall of eggs far beyond your capacity to use within a few weeks, they can be frozen—not in the shell, of course. Freeze only clean, fresh eggs. Whites  Break and separate the eggs, one at a time, making sure that no yolk gets in the whites. Pour them into freezer containers, seal tightly, label with the number of egg whites and the date, and freeze. For faster thawing and easier measuring, first freeze each white in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a freezer container. Yolks   Egg yolks require special treatment. The gelation property of yolk causes it to thicken or gel when frozen. If frozen as is, egg yolk will eventually become so gelatinous it will be almost impossible to use in a recipe. To help retard this gelation, beat in either 1/8 teaspoon salt or 1½ teaspoons sugar or corn syrup per ¼ cup egg yolks (4 yolks). Label the container with the number or yolks, the date, and whether you've added salt (for main dishes) or sweetener (for baking or desserts). Whole eggs    Beat just until blended, pour into freezer containers, seal tightly, label with the number of eggs and the date, and freeze.   Hard-cooked    Hard-cooked yolks can be frozen to use later for toppings or garnishes. Carefully place the yolks in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough water to come at least 1 inch above the yolks. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, in the hot water about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and package for freezing. Hard-cooked whole eggs and whites become tough and watery when frozen, so don't freeze them. To use frozen eggs    Thaw frozen eggs overnight in the refrigerator or under running cold water. Use yolks or whole eggs as soon as they're thawed. Once thawed, whites will beat to better volume if allowed to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Substitute 2 tablespoons thawed egg white for 1 Large fresh white. Substitute 1 tablespoon thawed egg yolk for 1 Large fresh egg yolk. Substitute 3 tablespoons thawed whole egg for 1 Large fresh egg. Use thawed frozen eggs only in dishes that are thoroughly cooked.   Freshness How recently an egg was laid has a bearing on its freshness but is only one of many factors. The temperature at which it is held, the humidity and the handling all play their part. These variables are so important that an egg one week old, held under ideal conditions, can be fresher than an egg left at room temperature for one day. The ideal conditions are temperatures that don't go above 40°F. (4°C.) and a relative humidity of 70 to 80%. Proper handling means prompt gathering, washing and oiling of the eggs within a few hours after laying. Most commercially produced eggs reach supermarkets within a few days of leaving the laying house. If the market and the buyer handle them properly, they will still be fresh when they reach the table. It is not true that freshness can be judged by placing an egg in salt water. A carefully controlled brine test is sometimes used to judge shell thickness of eggs for hatching purposes but has no application to freshness of table eggs. How important is "freshness"? As an egg ages, the white becomes thinner and the yolk becomes flatter. These changes do not have any great effect on the nutritional quality of the egg or its functional cooking properties in recipes. Appearance may be affected, though. When poached or fried, the fresher the egg, the more it will hold its shape rather than spread out in the pan. On the other hand, if you hard cook eggs that are at least a week old, you'll find them easier to peel after cooking and cooling than fresher eggs.   Fried Cooked in a small amount of fat in a pan. In a 7-8 inch omelet pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons butter until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water.  (If you use a very large pan, more butter will be needed.) Break and slip 2 eggs into the pan.  Immediately reduce the heat to low.  Cook slowly until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, covering with lid, spooning butter over the eggs to baste them, or turning the eggs to cook both sides. Related Words  Cooking Methods Games The egg's fragility probably accounts for its popularity in games down through the centuries. Egg Hunt Hiding colored or decorated eggs around the house or garden for youngsters to find has long been an Easter morning tradition. Egg Toss Whenever groups gather for picnic games, an egg toss is as predictable as a sack race. Partners line up in two rows facing each other. Every member on one side tosses a raw egg across. After each successful catch, the players step backward, adding to the difficulty of the next catch. This is repeated until all but one egg is broken. The couple with the last unbroken egg wins. Egg Rolling Many variations of egg rolling contests and games can be played. The egg rolling that takes place on the lawn of the White House or Capitol building has become an American tradition started, according to legend, by Dolley Madison in the early 1800's. Similar events are held in many other locations throughout the country. The United States, however, can hardly take credit for inventing the custom--egg rolling was mentioned in a Latin treatise in 1684. In England and Scotland, children roll eggs downhill and the last child with an unbroken egg is the winner. In another version of egg rolling, the players push the egg to the finish line using only their noses. Very similar are egg races in which the players try to send emptied eggshells across the finish line by fanning them with a piece of cardboard or by blowing them. Since eggs are not round, winning is not as easy as it might seem! Egg Tapping Many countries continue the age-old ritual of egg-tapping or egg-shackling. For example, Greeks form a circle and tap scarlet eggs, one against the other. The one finishing with an unbroken egg may claim all the other eggs. (The trick is protecting as much of the egg as possible with your fingers.) Pace Egging In English villages until modern times, children have carried on an old sport called pace-egging. The name comes from Pasch, the word that means Easter in most European countries. This derives from Pesach, the Hebrew Passover, which falls at the same time of the year. Pace-eggers are much like Halloween trick-or-treaters. They go from house to house in costume or with paper streamers and bright ribbons attached to their clothes. Faces blackened or masked, they sing or perform skits and demand pace eggs, either colored hard-cooked eggs or substitutes such as candy and small coins.   Germinal Disc The entrance of the latebra, the channel leading to the center of the yolk. The germinal disc is barely noticeable as a slight depression on the surface of the yolk. When the egg is fertilized, sperm enter by way of the germinal disc, travel to the center and a chick embryo starts to form. Related Words  Composition; Formation Grades Classification determined by interior and exterior quality and designated by letters AA, A and B. In many egg packing plants, the USDA provides a grading service for shell eggs. Its official grade shield certifies that the eggs have been graded under federal supervision according to USDA standards and regulations. The grading service is not mandatory. Other eggs are packed under state regulations which must meet or exceed federal standards. In the grading process, eggs are examined for both interior and exterior quality and are sorted according to weight (size). Grade quality and size are not related to one another. In descending order of quality, grades are AA, A and B. There is no difference in nutritive value between the different grades. Because production and marketing methods have become very efficient, eggs move so rapidly from laying house to market that you will find very little difference in quality between Grades AA and A. Although grade B eggs are just as wholesome to eat, they rate lower in appearance when broken out. Almost no Grade Bs find their way to the retail supermarket. Some go to institutional egg users such as bakeries or foodservice operations, but most go to egg breakers for use in egg products. Related Words  Breakers; Breakout Grades - Grade AA Grade AA A 'Grade AA' egg will stand up tall. The yolk is firm and the area covered by the white is small. There is a large proportion of thick white to thin white. Related Words  Breakout Grades - Grade B Grade B  A 'Grade B' egg spreads out more. The yolk is flattened and there is about as much (or more) thin white as thick white. Related Words  Breakout Grades- Grade A Grade A A 'Grade A' egg covers a relatively small area. The yolk is round and upstanding. The thick white is large in proportion to the thin white and stands fairly well around the yolk. Related Words  Breakout Grading Classification determined by interior and exterior quality and designated by letters AA, A and B. In many egg packing plants, the USDA provides a grading service for shell eggs. Its official grade shield certifies that the eggs have been graded under federal supervision according to USDA standards and regulations. The grading service is not mandatory. Other eggs are packed under state regulations which must meet or exceed federal standards. In the grading process, eggs are examined for both interior and exterior quality and are sorted according to weight (size). Grade quality and size are not related to one another. In descending order of quality, grades are AA, A and B. There is no difference in nutritive value between the different grades. Because production and marketing methods have become very efficient, eggs move so rapidly from laying house to market that you will find very little difference in quality between Grades AA and A. Although grade B eggs are just as wholesome to eat, they rate lower in appearance when broken out. Almost no Grade Bs find their way to the retail supermarket. Some go to institutional egg users such as bakeries or foodservice operations, but most go to egg breakers for use in egg products. Exterior: The first step in egg grading is inspection of the shell for cleanliness, soundness, apparent texture, strenght and shape.  Shell color is not a factor in judging quality.  To pass grading requirements, all eggs must be clean, but a certain amount of staining is permitted in the lower grade.  All eggs must have sound shells.  Those with cracks or markedly unsound shells are classified as restricted eggs. The ideal shell shape is oval with one end larger than the other.  Abnormal shells, permitted under B quality, may be decidedly mishappen or faulty in texture with ridges, thin spots or rough areas. Interior: Inspection of the interior is the next step in grading.  This is accomplished by candling or by the breakout methoud using the Haugh Unit system to evaluate the air cell, the albumen and the yolk. Higher grade eggs have a very shallow air cell.  In AA quality eggs, the air cell may not exceed 1/8 inch in depth.  Eggs of A quality may have air cells over 3/16 inch in depth.  There is no limit on air cell size in Grade B.  Albumen is judged on the basis of clarity and firmness or thickness.  A clear albumen is defined as being gree from discolorations or from any floating foreigh bodies.  Factors determining yolk quality are distinctness of outline, size and shape and absence of such defects as blemishes or mottling, germ development or blood spots.  When eggs are twirled before the candling light, the yolk swings toward the shell.  The distinctness of the yolk oultine depends on how close to the shell the yolk moves, which is, in turn, influenced by the thickness of the surrounding albumen.  Thick albumen permits limited yolk movement while thin albumen permits greater movement.  Related Words  Air Cell; Blood Spots; Breakout; Candling; Formation ; Shell; Yolk Greening ~see Color, yolk Related Words  Color; Yolk