"safe" raw eggs - "how to" pasteurize

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 3 min + 3 min cool

Servings: 1

"How-To" Pasteurize eggs to help protect from food-borne illnesses when consuming a recipe that calls for "raw" egg whites and/or yolks.

Directions

To pasteurize large eggs, place them in a saucepan filled with water and fitted with a digital thermometer. Turn on the heat and bring the water up to 140F. Keep the water temperature at 140F for 3 minutes (and no more than 142F), reducing the heat on the burner if necessary. Remove eggs from hot water and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Store in the refrigerator until needed or use right away.

Jumbo sized eggs need to 5 minutes in 140F water.

Pasteurized eggs are eggs that are cooked briefly at a high temperature and then cooled. The yolk must reach a temperature of about 138F. Eggs scramble at a much higher temperature, so it is possible to heat the yolk to pasteurize it without cooking the egg. The eggs still have the consistency of raw eggs (and can be used just like them in any recipe) but microbial growth of harmful bacteria is slowed or eliminated. You can buy pasteurized eggs at some markets, but they’re usually difficult to find and expensive.

I found this on Baking Bites.com, see their disclaimer which follows: Disclaimer: I feel compelled to mention that I cannot absolutely guarantee that this method is going to completely eliminate the 1 in 20,000 chance that an egg you have might have salmonella, although as long as your egg reaches the appropriate temperature, it should be effective. This is a method that I, and many friends who are chefs/culinary professionals, use to pasteurize our eggs when we need them. The vast majority of bacteria associated with an egg is found on the eggshell. The fresher your eggs are, the better they are. You can buy pasteurized eggs in some grocery stores and you can read more about egg safety here. Naturally, I would recommend that anyone pregnant, etc. avoid raw eggs just to be on the safe side.