Principles To Be Observed In Cooking

The principal constituent of the egg is albumin, which should be cooked in such a manner as to require the least possible expenditure of force in digestion. Those who are ill cannot afford to waste energy, and whether they are forced to do so or not depends much upon those who prepare their food.

Effect Of Temperature On Albumin

See "Albumin," page 11.

The proper cooking temperature of egg albumin is 160 to 180 degree Fahrenheit, when it is found to be tender, soft, jelly-like, and in an easily digested state.

But cooked at the boiling point of water, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, albumin is found to be firm, compact, tough and indigestible. With this knowledge we can appreciate the necessity of cooking eggs at a temperature below that of boiling water. It is often advisable to cook the white and yolk of eggs separately, as the yolk when hard cooked (at proper temperature) and mealy is more easily digested than the soft cooked yolk, and the white more easily digested soft cooked.

Suggestions

Eggs should be kept in a cool, dry place. Always wash eggs just before using. Save the shell for making boiled coffee, as the shells of three eggs is as effective in settling coffee as one whole egg. When using several eggs break them separately in a saucer to test the quality of each.

In beating fresh eggs to a stiff froth the albumin entraps the air, forming bubbles which expand and stiffen when exposed to heat and blended with batter and dough, thus making the food light and spongy. Stale eggs lose this quality of frothiness.

Test For Fresh Eggs

(1) The shell of a fresh egg is slightly rough; held to the ear and shake slightly there should be little sound, held in front of electric light or candle in a dark room if they look more transparent in center they are fresh, if more transparent at ends, are stale.

(2) In a solution made of two ounces of common salt and one pint of water, an egg one day old will sink (not quite reach the bottom) ; three days old will barely float above the surface, and seven days old will float above the surface. This is due to the loss of water and to the development of gases of putrefaction. Unless air is excluded from eggs they very quickly deteriorate in value and decompose.

The water in the egg evaporates through the shell, which is porous, and air rushes in to take its place, causing decomposition of the organic matter of the egg, the result being the formation of various gases - principally sulphuretted hydrogen, due to the action of putrefactive bacteria which enter the shell with air. Eggs eaten in this state may cause gastric and intestinal disorders, therefore, unless eggs are perfectly fresh, they should not be given to a child or a person of delicate digestion or the sick.

Energy Value Of An Egg

1 average egg .......................=60 Calories.

1 average white of egg................=13 Calories.

1 average yolk of egg................=48 Calories.

See Table, page 64, for energy value of other ingredients.