The egg is a very nutritious food that still has myths surrounding its consumption, since we already know that it does not raise cholesterol and provides many benefits. To be healthy, yes, they must be safe, because raw eggs are very sensitive and can easily spoil. There are signs that can indicate that an egg is spoiled; when in doubt, better not play it.
the egg shell it is very porous, which is great to give them a truffle flavor if we keep them with this fungus nearby, but it also opens the door for bacteria to penetrate inside. Some are very dangerous, such as those of the Salmonella genus, one of the main causes of food poisoning, especially in summer and when consuming raw or poorly cooked eggs.
Before laying, the egg is enveloped in a viscous liquid that forms a thin cuticle that acts as a barrier protective. Sudden changes in temperature cause this protection to be lost, which is why they are sold at room temperature, but at home we must refrigerate them, and never on the refrigerator door. For the same reason they should not be washed, except just before use.
When to throw away an egg
It is not worth putting your health at risk by consuming an egg potentially contaminated or dangerous. These signs and clues alert us to possible risks:
broken shell. It should always be discarded, even if the crack is minimal. If raw egg has also come out and stained the container, it should be thrown away and we have to check that it has not come into contact with the others. It is essential to wash your hands very well after handling it and before touching anything.
Expiration or consumption date expired. Eggs are not yogurt or spices, if the expiration date has passed, it is best to discard them. About 28 days of useful and safe life of the egg are calculated from its laying; From there the risks begin.
clear red. A few days ago, the image shared on Facebook by the British Beena Sarangdhar, who got an unpleasant surprise when she opened her breakfast eggs, went viral. A raw egg white tinged with red is a clear sign of contamination by Pseudomonas bacteria, and under no circumstances should they be consumed or cooked. Although it is rare to find it, it is not the first case known by networks.
Clear green, iridescent or pink. Any strange color hue, even with hints of fluorescent appearance, also indicates contamination by bacteria dangerous to humans. They have the appearance of a water-soluble pigment that usually only stains the white, and can leave stains on the container, which must be washed and disinfected after throwing the egg.
Black or green spots. If these colors appear as scattered spots or dots anywhere inside the egg, they should be thrown away, as they are also a sign of bacterial or fungal contamination.
strange odors. The nose does not usually deceive; if the raw or already cooked egg smells funny, it usually tells us that it is not a good idea to eat it.
Fleet. If you submerge a raw egg in water and it floats like a buoy, part of it coming to the surface, it tells us that it is old and probably expired. The eggs dry out as the days go by, the white water evaporates, it occupies less space and the air chamber increases.
Eggs that are safe
On other occasions we can find something strange in the eggs that catches our attention, but that is not a sign that it has gone bad. In these cases, yes we can consume the egg.
colored shells. Not all eggs are entirely white or brown, and neither color indicates anything about the taste or quality of the egg. This color only depends on the breed of the hen.
Shells with feathers, dirt or dirt. If it is intact, without cracks, this dirt is not a problem. We can clean it carefully dry, using a brush or kitchen paper, and wash it with cold water just before opening it, but taking extreme precautions so that the shell does not come into contact with the interior. It is convenient to crack them in a different container or surface to where we throw the raw eggs.
Pale or very intense yolk. As long as you keep the yellowish tone, there is no problem. A more or less colorful yolk only responds to the hen’s diet.
Red or brown spots. When what appears to us in the raw egg are tiny red spots, usually in the yolk, we are dealing with traces of blood that are usually produced by small hemorrhages that appear during the ovulation of the hen. They get darker as the days go by, so we often see them with a brown or brown color. They can be consumed without problems.
meat stains. They are more common in the white and can be up to 3 mm in size. As Miguel Ángel Lurueña explains, sometimes they arise due to the desquamation of some tissues of the hen or due to calcium particles.
cloudy egg white. It’s just a sign of the freshness of the egg. Freshly placed, it has a denser egg white, which evaporates as it ages and becomes more transparent and liquid.
Egg white with two textures. It is another indicator of that freshness; Initially, the egg white presents two well-differentiated parts, one more liquid and the other more viscous. As the days go by, the gelatinous egg white becomes liquid, until it forms a homogeneous and more transparent texture.
- Gray or greenish cooked yolk. It simply tells us that the egg has been cooked for a long time. It usually appears as a dark green or gray color that covers the outer perimeter of the yolk. It is a chemical reaction of the sulfides that expel the degraded egg proteins due to prolonged cooking. They have no risk or strange taste.
Photos | Unsplash – iStock – Beena Sarangdhar – HolyHypodermics – Marco Verch – Isabelle Hurbain-Palatin
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