Your thoughts on pasteurized eggs?

[Beth Y]

I got a coupon for some free eggs from the local market and tried them. The brand was Davidson's. Although they seemed to taste the same, when you broke them, they were almost congealed. That is, the whites were more solid and stayed attached to the yolk more. So, using an egg separator, I practically had to pry the whites off the eggs for baking. I assume they use some level of heat to do the pasteurizing and that is what causes this. It was a bit creepy.

I know people are scared to death of eggs these days, but I have never heard of anyone that has had any problem. I make sure my eggs are fresh and keep them in the fridge. Is there really that much of a concern? I am careful to use a separator now, as I heard that going back and forth from shell to shell to separate can spread bacteria. But is pasteurizing really necessary?

What do ya'll think about pasteurized eggs? I would love to see CL do a piece on this issue.

[MrsReber]

I have never thought to buy pasturized eggs at all. I don't really see the need for it. I understand that it is very very rare for a person to get salmonella poisoning from eggs, too. They don't sit around for very long in my fridge to begin with. I think I'd be more concerned about the store where you buy your eggs and thier procedures. I, too, have heard that the bacteria can get into an egg if you use the shell to separate the egg. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop me from doing that! I usually cook my eggs enough that I don't worry about it. I did a little research on it since my husband was getting weird about eating lemon meringue pie- claimed the egg whites wouldn't be cooked enough.

[lorilei]

Isn't it funny how we worry so much today about things that people did routinely for years and years?

MrsReber - I find it strange too that I should worry about the bacteria on the eggshell so much. After all, then even the act of breaking the egg open would be hazardous!!

Pasteurized eggs don't seem necessary to me either. And pasteurization overall can destroy nutrients... after a while, there will be nothing left to an egg. What's the point?

[venus]

I agree--pasteurized eggs seem like overkill. I read in "The Joy of Cooking" that salmonella dies at a very low temperature, so the slightest heat is enough to kill it. Is this true? If it is, pastuerizing an egg is like using a sledge hammer on the poor thing http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

I separate my eggs in the shells all the time--i had no idea it was even a problem. If I'm using raw egg yolks in a recipe, I coddle them by placing the egg in boiling water for 30 seconds. According to the Surreal Gourmet, this will heat the eggs enough to kill the bacteria without hurting the texture. Sometime I leave it in the water for too long and the white cooks a little bit, but it doesn't effect the yolk.

[Kerri]

I think the purpose of pasteurized eggs are if the eggs in a recipe will never get cooked. I know a lot of commercial companys have switched to pastuerized eggs to make these kinds of products safer - cookie dough, egg nog, mayo, etc. In your own kitchen where you know the temps and how it was handled, you should be okay, but if you were ever worried about giving your kids raw cookie dough, these eggs would make it a little safer.

[Beth Y]

This is what I thought. Like I said, I got the pasteurized eggs for free, so I tried them, but they creeped me out.