Emerson said, "There is a best way of doing everything, even if it is to boil an egg." Mrs. Hill says, "with eggs, the best way is not 'to boil' at all, but to cook at a temperature below the boiling point of water, or be exact, not above 180° E."

Eggs, like milk, are called a perfect food, because they contain various food principles in their right proportion, for the nourishment of the body.

As we have stated before, the white of egg is considered the purest form of albumin. We have also mentioned that coagulation is one of the properties of albumin. The cooking of eggs will give ample illustration of how albumin coagulates under different temperatures.

Composition Of Eggs

Water, 87.7.

Protein, 12.6.

Fat, .25.

Mineral matter, .59.

It is easy to see by this table that eggs are deficient in carbohydrates, so should be combined with carbohydrate foods to make them an ideal food.

Egg consists of shell, membrane, white and yolk.

The membrane is a thin, transparent skin lying between the shell and white.

The yolk is held in place by thin threads of albumin.

Contents Of The Egg White

Water.

Albumin.

The mineral contents of the white are in form of sulphur.

Contents Of The Egg Yolk

Protein.

Water.

Fat.

Albumin.

The mineral contents are phosphorus, calcium, iron. (It is the iron in egg that gives it its good yellow color.)

The shell consists chiefly of carbonate of lime.

The amount of water varies with the age of the egg.

Eggs are an economic food. Because rich in protein and fat they may be used as a meat substitute They are capable of a variety of combinations, and are easily prepared. They are used as a leavening and thickening agent, also as a garnish.

How To Test An Egg For Freshness

1. Fresh eggs have a thick, rough shell and feel heavy.

2. Hold egg between your eye and the light. If clear it is fresh.

3. Drop egg in cold water. If it sinks it is fresh.

4. If the contents of an egg rattle when shaken it is stale.

How To Preserve Eggs

1. Keep eggs in a cool, dry place. The shell of eggs is somewhat porous and for that reason should be kept away from strong odors.

2. They may be preserved for an indefinite time by packing them, small end down, in lime, sand, sawdust, in salt, by coating them with fat or by immersing them in lime water. The main object in the preservation is to keep the air out.

How To Break Eggs

Eggs should be washed before they are broken open Hold eggs in left hand and crack the shell by striking it sharply in center with a knife or against side of dish. Then placing thumbs together at the crack slowly break the shells apart.

To separate the yolk from the white, hold the egg upright while breaking it in order that the yolk may remain in half of the shell. In this way the white will run out of part of the shell. Then slip the yolk from one part of the shell to the other till all of the white is freed from the yolk. If a little of the yolk should accidentally fall into the white it may be removed by using a piece of the shell or by using a small damp piece of clean linen. The yolk will stick to the damp linen.

In breaking more than one egg, break each singly into a cup. This will insure you against serious mishap should some of the eggs not be perfectly fresh or should you accidentally break one of the yolks.

Beating Eggs

The beating of albumin causes it to expand until it becomes light and full of fine air bubbles, also developing the flavor a little.

Whites are beaten stiff when they are thick and can be cut with a knife, and are flaky and dry. There is, however, danger at times of beating the whites too much till all the life is beaten out of them. This is true in the making of cakes and souffles. A speck of salt added to the white of egg will cause it to beat up faster.

The yolks of eggs should be beaten in a bowl with Dover egg beater, till they are thick and light colored.

In case of cracked shells, to prevent boiling out, pierce the large end several times.

Effects Of Heat On Albumin

Raw Albumin: Clear, sticky, a pale straw colored liquid.

Heated To 134° F.: Fine threads of semi-solid white substance appear in liquid.

Heated To 160° F.: Tender, white jelly is formed.

Heated To 212° F.: Tough, white jelly.

Heated To 300° F.: Hard, horny substance.

Eggs that are to be used as a garnish should be put into boiling water and allowed to boil steadily for half an hour. They should then be placed in ice water until perfectly chilled, when the shells may be removed. It will then be found that in cutting them into slices the white will not break nor the yolk crumble.