How Do You Like Your Eggs?

How do you like to eat your eggs? Do you like them scrambled or fried? Cold or warm? On toast or in a tortilla? How about an egg in a hole, or in a cup? No matter how you like to eat your eggs, they are full of good nutrition, easy to prepare, inexpensive, and can be a part of a healthy diet especially for growing children. Simply put eggs are eggs, there is nothing else in them, just one ingredient...egg.

Egg facts from the American Egg Board:

• One egg has 6 grams of high-quality protein and about 70 calories.
• Eggs have all 9 essential amino acids and 13 essential vitamins and minerals.
• They are the least expensive source of high-quality protein. Usually, costing less than 20 cents per egg.
• Eggs are a good source of choline. Choline promotes normal cell activity; liver function and helps transport nutrients throughout the body.
• There are 7 to 17 thousand little tiny pores on one eggshell.
• Double-yolked eggs often come from hens that are young and their egg production cycles are not yet synchronized or by hens old enough to produce extra-large eggs.

Food Safety Tips:

• Wash your hands and any surfaces or utensils that come in contact with raw eggs.
• Cook eggs until the whites and yolks are firm or an internal temperature of 160°F is reached in dishes containing eggs, like egg casseroles.
• Eggs should be kept at 33-40°F and should be discarded after two hours if left at room temperature.

Hard Cooking Eggs on the Stove Top

1. Place uncooked eggs in a single layer on the bottom of a saucepan.
2. Add cold water until the eggs are covered with about an inch of water.
3. Heat to boiling. Turn off the heat and cover for 12-18 minutes. Cooking times vary based on the size of the eggs - 9 minutes for medium eggs, 12 minutes for large and 15 minutes for extra large.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and drain.
5. Submerge cooked eggs in an ice bath for five minutes to cool eggs.
6. Drain and dry eggs. Store in the refrigerator in a clean, dry container.

Hard Cooking Eggs in a Multi-Cooker (Electric Pressure Cooker)

1. Add 1 cup water to multi-cooker liner and insert trivet.
2. Layer 10-12 eggs on top of trivet.
3. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes followed by a quick release. Once pin drops, remove lid.
4. Submerge eggs in an ice bath to cool immediately after cooking for five minutes.
5. Return eggs to the refrigerator in a clean, dry container.
6. Using either method eggs can be peeled immediately or left in their shells to store in the refrigerator.