How to store and cook eggs

Eggs should be stored unwashed and covered (they absorb odors in an open container) in a refrigerator or equally cool place. They will keep this way for many weeks, but to enjoy their best qualities, use them as soon as possible.

If you find a cracked egg, cook it thoroughly; do not eat it raw or semicooked. Once out of the shell, egg yolks can be kept, covered with water, for 2 to 3 days; egg whites, in a covered container, for about a week. Eggs cooked in the shell In an enamel or stainless-steel pan (aluminum darkens), cover the eggs with cold water. Bring just to the boil, then lower the heat to simmer cooking eggs in boiling water toughens them.

Should an egg crack as the water heats, add a pinch of salt. For soft-cooked eggs, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes (depending on the size of the egg), medium-soft 3 to 4 minutes, hard-cooked 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the eggs; immerse them in cold water to stop the cooking. Refrigerate hard cooked eggs and use them within a week. Pencil an X on a hard-cooked egg to tell it from uncooked ones.

Poached eggs

Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer. Break an egg into a saucer. Stir the water to create a whirlpool; gently slip in the egg. Repeat for each egg. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.

Fried eggs

For each egg, heat 1 tablespoon butter, margarine, oil, or bacon fat in a skillet. When a drop of water sizzles in the pan, break in the eggs; turn heat to low. After 2 minutes, turn eggs over and cook for 1 more minute. Or if you prefer eggs sunny-side up, cook for 3 to 4 minutes without turning. For firmer, glazed-over eggs, cover them for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Scrambled eggs

Allow 2 eggs per person. Lightly beat them, add salt, pepper and, if desired, herbs. Pour into a heated skillet coated with a mixture of butter and oil or bacon fat. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are firm but still creamy. For softer eggs, add 1 tablespoon milk or cream per egg.

Separating whites and yolks; beating; folding

To crack the shell of an egg, give it a quick tap at the center with a knife. Hold the egg upright (so that the yolk remains in the lower half) and open the shell. Empty the egg white from the top half of the shell into a bowl, cutting it free with the edge of the lower shell. Slide the yolk into the top half; empty the white from the lower half. Repeat, if necessary. Drop the yolk into a second bowl. If the yolk breaks, drop it immediately into the second bowl; yolk in the egg whites will decrease the whipped volume.

Beat egg whites at room temperature in a spotlessly clean bowl (grease or other contamination can adversely affect the results). For maximum volume, use an unlined copper bowl or, after beating to the foamy stage, add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar for every four whites. Do not overbeat; whites should be whipped to a soft-peak or a stiff-peak stage, never to a dry one.

To fold beaten whites into yolks or a batter, pile the whites on top. With a rubber spatula quickly but gently rotate the mixture from the bottom of the bowl over the whites until all the whites have been incorporated.