For the Love of Eggs

Why would I write a whole page about eggs? It seems as though mid-century America had a love affair with the egg. My vintage cookbooks were loaded with recipes that included eggs.  Along with parsley and sliced pimento olives, sliced hard boiled eggs were the garnish of choice.

I have compiled much of the information from those vintage cookbooks here on this page. I certainly hope you find it as interesting as I did.

There are several ways to boil eggs. The cold water start and the boiling water start. I have included directions for both:

Cold Water:  Place eggs in saucepan in cold water. Place in one layer. Size of the pan depends on how many eggs you are using. Cover with cold water. Heat until water is boiling. Remove from heat and cover pan. Let sit for approximately 25 minutes. For some reason the eggs seem easier to peel using this method.

Boiling Water:  Boil water in saucepan. With a long handled spoon, carefully lower the eggs into the pan. Lay carefully on the bottom of the pan. Place in one layer. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from stove and run under cold water. Crack eggs slightly before cooling.

Have you ever placed hard and soft boiled eggs together in the fridge and didn’t know which was which? Here is a neat trick. Place the egg on a hard surface and spin. If the egg spins, it is hard boiled. If it wobbles, it is raw.

Egg Measurements

1 small egg (1 ½ oz.) = 3 Tbls.

1 medium egg ( 1 ¾ oz.) = 3 Tbls. + 1 tsp.

1 large egg (2 oz.) = ¼ cup

2 small eggs (3 oz.) = 1/3 cup

2 large eggs (4 oz.) = ½ cup

To test whether an egg is fresh, place it in a bowl of cold water. If it sinks, it’s fresh. If it floats, toss it!

It is easier to separate yolks from whites if the egg is nice and cold.

Don’t wash eggs before storing them in the refrigerator. They have a protective coating that helps to preserve them. If they are dirty, wipe them gently with a cloth.

If you are whipping up egg whites for a recipe, you will get the highest volume if the eggs are room temperature.

If not specified, always use a large egg when baking.

There!! Now you are an egg expert! Now for some trivia….

In 1954, peanut M&M’s joined plain M&M’s on the store shelves. Plain M&M’s were introduced in the 40’s.

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