15.2 Egg products

Bakeries and food service kitchens buy many eggs out of the shell. All egg products except shell eggs are pasteurized by law to protect against salmonella. They are kept cold, which slows bacteria, but under some conditions they can still spoil very fast. There are three main kinds:

• liquid eggs: whole eggs, or whole eggs with extra yolks;
• frozen eggs: whole eggs, whites or yolks;
• dried or powdered eggs: whole eggs, whites, and meringue powder.

Liquid and frozen eggs

Large bakeries prefer liquid and frozen whole eggs because cracking thousands of shells by hand does not pay. They are also one of the cheapest ways to buy eggs. Some are "fortified", meaning extra yolks have been added. Some bakers feel these eggs give less volume in sponge cakes than fresh ones, and many still lean towards shell eggs.

Frozen egg products keep a long time, with little loss of quality, at -18°C (0°F) or lower. That is also the rule for all frozen food.

• Thaw them in the refrigerator. Cold water also works, as long as the container is not submerged.
• Never thaw them at room temperature. The outer layers warm into the range where bacteria grow while the center is still frozen. see chapter 2: The danger zone
• Never use heat to thaw them.
• Refrigerate any thawed egg you do not use, and use it within 24 hours.

Frozen yolks are sold as 90% yolk and 10% sugar. The sugar stops the yolk turning to a gel and keeps the fat from separating.

Dried eggs

Some bakers use spray-dried eggs to save time and money. Like frozen eggs, they have doubters for sponge cakes. They do work, though, because a carbohydrate, usually corn syrup, is added before drying, and it lets them foam about as well as fresh eggs.

Keep dried whole eggs unopened in a cool place no warmer than 10°C (50°F), ideally in the refrigerator. Powdered eggs count among foods that are not potentially hazardous; fresh or cooked eggs count among those that are.

Reconstituting dried egg products.

You do not always have to add the water first. In muffins and cake doughnuts, dried egg goes in with the other dry ingredients. In layer cakes it is blended with the dry ingredients, then the fat and part of the water go in, and the rest of the liquid follows in two stages. When dried white goes into a cake mix, it is blended in dry and the water drops to 7 L (7 qt) of cold water per 1 kg (2.2 lb) of powder.

Substitutes and meringue powder

Dry egg substitutes are a cost-cutter. Their ingredients include whey, sweet cheese, dextrose, egg whites, sodium caseinate, modified tapioca starch, and artificial flavor and color. Bakers use them alone or blended with fresh or dried egg, in cakes, fillings and cookies.

Meringue powder is not pure dried egg white. Vegetable gums and starches in it soak up moisture and help it whip. Bakers use it widely for baked Alaska, royal icing and toppings.

Pasteurized eggs in place of raw