Egg yolk

“ One pint of coarse salt, and one pint of unslacked lime, to a pailful of water. If there be too much lime, it will eat the shells from the eggs; and if there be a single egg cracked, it will spoil the whole. They should be covered with lime-water, and kept in a cold place. The yolk becomes slightly red; but I have seen eggs, thus kept, perfectly sweet and fresh at the end of three years. The cheapest time to lay down eggs, is early in spring, and the middle and last of September. It is bad economy to buy eggs by the dozen, as you want them. ”

“ When no more eggs are to be found, the mashing process begins. The egg, it may be here mentioned, has a flexible or leathery shell; it is quite round, and somewhat larger than a hen's egg. The whole heap is thrown into an empty canoe and mashed with wooden prongs; but sometimes naked Indians and children jump into the mass and tread it down, besmearing themselves with yolk and making about as filthy a scene as can well be imagined. ”

“ Boil as many eggs as you need hard. Cut a very small piece off the pointed end, so that the egg can stand, and then cut off as little as possible of the end—just enough to be able to take out the yolk nicely. If the white is very thick, thin it with a sharp knife, but be very careful not to spoil the shape. Pound the yolks in a mortar. Mix with them one or two anchovies also pounded, a bit of butter, some Nepaul pepper, a few fine bread crumbs. Mix well together, form the mixture into little balls, and proceed to fill the whites of the eggs, so that it looks somewhat like the yolk inside. ”

“ That is the sacred spot where lies the spark of life which, animated by incubation, will quicken the substance of the egg and mold it into a living being; it is the point of departure, the origin, the germ of the bird. The yolk itself is the nutritive reservoir whence are drawn the materials for this work of creation. Quickened by the heat of the brooding hen and by the action of the air, it becomes covered with a network of fine veins. These swell with the substance of the yolk, which turns to blood ”

“ The whole egg is generally used. The white alone will serve, but not the yolk alone, as it is the albumen which is needed. The albumen quickly coagulates when put into the hot fat, and forms a coating through which the grease will not penetrate. To one egg is added one tablespoonful of water, so as to make it thin enough to run and remove the stringiness of the egg; these are beaten lightly together, but should not be foamy, as bubbles break and leave holes for the grease to enter. Where delicate color is wanted, it is better to use the white of the egg only and fresh crumbs. ”

“ A raw or soft-boiled egg is of all varieties of [283] food the most nourishing and concentrated; a hard-boiled egg is apt to trouble the digestion of the strong and healthful, and its nutrient properties are sensibly impaired. The yolk contains water and albumen, but associated with these is quite a large number of mineral and other substances which render it very complex in composition. The bright yellow color is due to a peculiar fat or oil, which is capable of reflecting the yellow rays of light, and this oil holds the sulphur and phosphorous which abound in the egg. ”

“ Served with bread or rice, they form an admirable meal and one that is nutritious and easily digested. The white of eggs, almost pure albumin, is nutritious, and, when cooked in water at 170 degrees Fahrenheit, requires less time for perfect digestion than a raw egg. The white of a hard-boiled egg is tough and quite insoluble. The yolk, however, if the boiling has been done carefully for twenty minutes, is mealy and easily digested. Fried eggs, no matter what fat is used, are hard, tough and insoluble. ”

“ Or, when economy is a point, and the white can be otherwise utilized, a little milk may be added to the yolk of egg when a larger quantity than is afforded by 1 yolk is required. Fruit tarts, puffs, etc., are usually brushed lightly over with cold water, and sprinkled liberally with castor sugar before baking. Or, when a thin coating of icing is desired, they are, when nearly baked, brushed over with well-beaten white of egg, and well-dredged with castor sugar. ”

“ The white is elastic and more or less tough, while the yolk, upon being thoroughly cooked, becomes powdery, or mealy, and breaks up into minute particles. The egg white begins to coagulate at 134 degrees Fahrenheit, and it becomes white and jellylike at 160 degrees. Bringing an egg to such a temperature produces a more desirable result than cooking it at a high temperature--boiling point, for instance--because the albumen, instead of becoming tough, as it does at a high temperature, acquires a soft, tender consistency that exists throughout the entire egg. ”

“ In choosing eggs hold each one up to the light; if fresh, the white will be clear and the yolk distinct; if they are not good, they will have a clouded appearance.
Eggs for boiling must be as fresh as possible; they may be kept fresh for several weeks by packing them in bran. Lay the small end of the egg downward in the box. You may also keep them for months by greasing them with melted lard, or beef fat, or in a weak brine of lime water and salt; strong lime water will eat the shell, and if very strong will cook the eggs. Add to a common bucket of water a pint of salt and a pint of lime ”

“ For coating croquettes, dilute each beaten egg with one-fourth cup of water or one-third cup of milk; cover unused yolks with water to prevent drying, and pour off water before using. Have both yolk and white of egg cold, so that they may be beaten more quickly; add a pinch of salt to whites of eggs which are to be beaten stiff, and beat in a current of air. Soft-boiled or dropped eggs not used at table should be put back in boiling water, cooked hard, and used for garnishing, egg sauce, etc. ”

“ Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat.
In small mixing bowl beat egg yolks at high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Blend small amount of hot sweet potato mixture into yolks. Blend yolk mixture into potato mixture. Stir in lemon peel and mace.
Wash and dry beaters. In large mixing bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until stiff but not dry, just until whites no longer slip when bowl is tilted. Gently fold yolk mixture into whites. Pour into prepared dish. ”

“ There are various kitchen gadgets on the market which will separate eggs, but the most common method is to crack the egg in the center and shift the yolk from one half of the egg shell to the other, allowing the white to slip into a bowl and being careful not to break the yolk. Eggs are easiest to separate when cold, but whites reach their fullest volume if allowed to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before beating. ”

“ Most persons are familiar with the appearance of eggs, but in order that satisfactory results may be obtained in their selection, care, and cooking, it will be necessary to look into the details of their composition. As is well known, an egg consists of a porous shell lined with a fine, but tough, membrane that encloses the white and the yolk and serves to protect them. The yolk is divided from the white by a delicate membrane, which permits it to be separated from the white when an egg is carefully broken. ”

“ The yolk, as everyone must have noticed in hard-boiled eggs, does not stay in the middle of the egg, but always floats to the upper side. The chick, too, always forms on the upper side of the yolk; and when the egg gets turned over, the yolk rolls round like a barrel in the water and brings the chick to the upper side. So the chick, until it grows big enough to be a tight fit, always lies crosswise of the egg, on the upper side of the yolk just under the shell. ”

“ The iron phosphoric compounds are in a condition to be readily assimilated, and although homœopathic in quantity, nevertheless exert a marked influence upon the system. The yolks of eggs, containing as they do less albumen, are not so injuriously affected by heat as the white, and a hard-boiled yolk may be usually eaten by invalids without inconvenience. The composition of a fresh egg, exclusive of the shell, may be presented as follows:
The whole usually weighs about a thousand grains, of which the shell makes a tenth part. ”

“ In such a case, the egg itself divides into a number of portions: two, four, eight, or even twelve and sixteen individuals being normally developed from every egg, in consequence of this singular process of segmentation of the yolk,—which takes place, indeed, in all eggs, but in those which produce but one individual is only a stage in the natural growth of the yolk during its transformation into a young embryo. ”

“ The yolk should always be beaten first, since, if the white is left to stand after being beaten, a portion of the air, which its viscous nature allows it to catch up, escapes and no amount of beating will render it so firm a second time. Eggs which need to be washed before breaking should always be wiped perfectly dry, that no water may become mingled with the egg, as the water may dilute the albumen sufficiently to prevent the white from becoming firm and stiff when beaten. ”

“ Eggs, when not fresh, are more or less liable to disease. I might even say more. When not fresh, they are diseased. On this point we have the testimony of Drs. Willich and Dunglison. The truth is, that the yolk of the egg has a strong tendency to decomposition, and this decomposing or putrefying process begins long before it is perceived, or even suspected, by most people. There is much reason for believing that a large proportion of the eggs eaten in civic life,—except when we keep the poultry ourselves,—are, when used, more or less in a state of decomposition. ”

“ The yolk of the egg is composed of albumin, fat, and a phosphorus-bearing material of high nutritive value known as lecithin. The yolk of an egg is a much richer food product than the white, containing in addition to the nitrogenous element the fat and mineral bodies necessary to nutrition. ”

“ Hard-boil four eggs, throw them at once into cold water, remove the shells. Put the yolks through a sieve, then add a half teaspoonful of salt, a dash of white pepper and the yolk of one raw egg, or you may take a part of the white of one egg. Mix thoroughly and make into balls the size of a marble, using enough flour to prevent sticking to the hands. Drop these into a kettle of boiling stock, or into hot fat. ”

“ When they are set fairly firm take them out with an egg-slice, using the left hand as before, and trim them with the right. It is not necessary, in poached eggs, to have a clear yolk surrounded with a white uniform ring. Poached eggs often look best when the yolk reposes in a sort of pillow-case of white. ”

“ Take it up gently with a slice, cut away the ragged edges of the white, and serve either on toasted bread or on slices of ham or bacon, or on spinach, &c. A poached egg should not be overdone, as its appearance and taste will be quite spoiled if the yolk be allowed to harden. When the egg is slipped into the water, the white should be gathered together, to keep it a little in form, or the cup should be turned over it for 1 minute. To poach an egg to perfection is rather a difficult operation ”

“ POACHED EGGS.—The beauty of a poached egg is for the yolk to be seen blushing through the white, which should only be just sufficiently hardened to form a transparent veil for the egg. Have some boiling water in a teakettle; pass as much of it through a clean cloth as will half fill a stewpan; break the egg into a cup, and when the water boils, remove the stewpan from the stove, and gently slip the egg into it; it must stand till the white is set ”

“ The fat is accumulated in the yolk, often amounting to thirty per cent. Raw and lightly-boiled eggs are easy of digestion, but hard-boiled ones decidedly not so. An egg loses its freshness within a day or so. The shell is porous; and the always-feeding and destroying oxygen of the air quickly gains admission, causing a gradual decomposition. To preserve them, they must be coated with lard or gum, or packed in either salt or oats, points down. In this way they keep good a long time, and while hardly desirable to eat as boiled eggs, answer for many purposes in cooking. ”

“ The typical fish-egg is globular, more or less transparent, having a tough protective membrane, within which the yolk-laden egg proper lies. The yolk is present in sufficient amount to maintain the embryo until it can swim about and feed for itself. ”

“ Too much green feed, especially green feed that springs from wet, soggy ground, will sometimes make the eggs watery. Or if you are feeding more mash feed than dry grain, it will have that tendency. Some people claim that the feed a hen eats does not affect the egg at all; but if it does not, why do eggs differ in color and quality? Eggs that are laid by hens fed wholly on wheat, or the by-products of wheat, such as bran, shorts or middlings, all have a pale yolk. ”

“ A full set of eggs is always desirable, if they can be obtained, but, as the old saying is, "A half-loaf is better than no bread." The contents may be removed by making a hole in the side of the egg with an egg drill, and sucking out the white and yolk with a glass blow-pipe, or by means of a little syringe with a bit of rubber tubing attached to the nozzle. ”

“ Some recommend that the yolk of a hard-boiled egg be given alone for the first day. Bread crumbs are added to this daily until on the third day egg food as ordinarily prepared is supplied. Attempt should be made to regulate the supply of egg food or other soft food so that it will be eaten without waste. ”