Sep. 26, 2012 - Issue #884: Strangelove
Provenance
Six things about eggs
If you're in the predicament of figuring out whether an egg is fresh or hard boiled, just give it a spin. If it wobbles, it's raw; if it spins easily, it's hard boiled.
Looking a little green
Hard boiled eggs can get a greenish ring around the yolk if they are overcooked. This does not affect the taste of the egg. However, it does affect the quality of the protein.
Colourful clues
The colour of an egg yolk gives an indication of the hen's diet. The vibrancy of an egg yolk is dependent on the amount of yellow and orange plant pigments in the grain a hen is fed.
One old egg
In Chinese cuisine, an ingredient called a century egg is used in certain dishes. It is a duck, chicken or quail egg that has been preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime and rice hulls for several weeks to several months, depending on the method. The yolk becomes a dark green colour that has a creamy consistency and an odour of sulphur or ammonia. The white of the egg turns dark brown and becomes a translucent jelly with very little flavour. The alkaline material of the egg is the transforming agent in the process, and raises the egg's pH level to about nine or 12 during the curing process.
Busy birds
On average, one hen lays 250 to 270 eggs each year. It takes a hen approximately 24 to 26 hours to make an egg, and it will rest for about 30 minutes between laying an egg and making another one.
There's a reason for it
Eggs are placed in cartons with the large end up to keep the air cell in place and the yolk centered. V vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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