Why An Egg Expert Never, Ever Cooks Them Straight From The Fridge

Eggs in a trayOnce I learned that you’re meant to strain your poached eggs in a sieve before cooking them, I’ve never gone back to my former vinegar trick: those annoying wispy tendrils almost completely disappear.And I’ve begun following other chefs’ tricks, like salting my eggs about 15 minutes before scrambling them, too. But according to Tom Ferris, an expert from chicken care store Roostys, I’m missing a crucial step: apparently, we shouldn’t be cooking eggs straight from the fridge. Doing so can “affect... the texture and flavour” of the eggs, he explained. Why shouldn’t you cook eggs straight from the fridge?The UK government’s Food Standards Agency recommends: “Eggs should be stored in a cool, dry place. Ideally, eggs should be stored in the fridge. The storage area should be cleaned regularly.”Ferris agrees with this. Even though UK eggs have a Lion mark on them, which shows they come from hens vaccinated against salmonella (which is why they can be stored at room temperature in shops), “refrigeration helps maintain their freshness and prevents them from ageing too quickly”. But he has a caveat: “You have to take them out about half an hour before you use them”.This, he explains, is partly because “If you go straight from fridge to frying pan, the rapid change in temperature can make the shell crack when boiling, or cause the whites to toughen and the yolk to stay cool.” And “Cold eggs cook unevenly. The white may firm up too quickly, while the yolk stays underdone... That’s why you’ll often see those cloudy whites and oddly soft yolks when people cook eggs directly from the fridge.”Do you need to bring eggs for baking to room temperature? Ferris says “yes”. That’s because “Cold eggs don’t mix as well with butter or sugar. They can cause the batter to curdle and your cake to bake unevenly,” leading to a poor rise. “We tend to think of eggs as simple, but they’re actually very sensitive,” the expert ended. “In baking, that sudden cold can stop them from binding properly. In boiling, it can lead to cracked shells. And in frying, it can make them rubbery.” Related...7 Tips Chefs Follow For The Best Scrambled EggsMary Berry's 60-Second Secret To Perfectly 'Jammy' Boiled EggsScrambled Eggs Come Out Fluffier If You Add 1 Simple Ingredient Chefs Swear By

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