For several egg dishes it is important that the egg is of a good quality. Egg quality standards are based on shell cleanliness, soundness, texture, and shape; relative viscosity of the white and freedom from foreign matter; the shape, firmness and freedom from defects of the yolk.
As an egg ages the white becomes watery, the yolk is less pronounced and more to the side of the shell within the white.
Quality points to look for in fresh egg.
*The shell should be clean, a good shape and the surface slightly rough. Shells with visible soil or deep stain are not allowed in high quality programs. Furthermore, the soil usually contains a heavy population of microorganism, which may penetrate the shell and cause spoilage.
*When the place into a brine solution (100 g salt of 1 liter of water) heated to 23° C a good quality egg will float near the bottom. As the egg becomes older the air sac inside increases and the egg floats nearer the surface of the water.
*Commercially, egg are passed over a strong light which shows the placement of the yolk within the egg and the size of the air sac
*The color of the yolk fades as eggs age; the fresher the egg, the darker the yolk.
*When cracked open the yolk, the yellow color will sit in the center of the white. The white itself should be form and clear with little watery.
Eggs can be contaminated by trace amounts of pesticides from feed, so purchasing organic eggs might be desirable.
Because raw or undercooked eggs can transmit food poisoning raw cracked eggs should be discarded and eggs should be cooked thoroughly.
Eggs should be refrigerated to prevent bacterial contamination and age-related changes.
Good quality of chicken eggs
