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BackCooking eggs to the right temperature
Proper cooking is the last step in ensuring the safety of the eggs your family eats. Adequate cooking brings eggs to a temperature high enough to destroy bacteria that might be present in the egg yolk or egg white. The table below provides a guide on the proper temperature to cook eggs:
| Part of egg | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Egg white | 144-149 F |
| Yolk | 149-158 F |
| Whole eggs | 144-158 F |
If you’re making a recipe with other food items, dilute the eggs with liquid or ingredients, such as milk or sugar and cook the mixture to 160 degrees F to destroy harmful bacteria. Use at least ¼ cup liquid or sugar per egg, as in custard.
Use a food thermometer if you have one available. If you don’t have a thermometer, follow these visual guidelines below.
| Egg Dish | Safe Temperature* | Guidelines for Doneness |
|---|---|---|
| Omelets, frittatas and recipes with added liquid |
160 ° | Eggs will be thickened with no visible liquid egg remaining.
|
| Scrambled eggs, fried eggs over easy, over hard, and basted | 144-158° | Cook until whites are completely set, and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard.
|
| Egg white omelet | 144-149° | Cook until no visible liquid egg remains.
|
| Poached eggs | 144-158° | Cook until the whites are completely set, and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard (about 5 minutes in simmering water, or 6-9 minutes in poaching inserts).
|
| Hard-boiled eggs | Eggs will reach temperature of 160° if properly cooked. | Place large eggs in sauce pan with cold water. Bring eggs to boil and cover. Remove from heat. Let eggs sit for 12 minutes.
|
| Baked Custards, quiches, casseroles, French toast, stratas | 160° | Cook until a thin-blade knife inserted near the center of the dish comes out clean. If knife is clean, then the dish is done. If any of the dish sticks to the blade, bake a few minutes longer and test again.
|
| Stirred custards, eggnog, ice cream bases |
Cook egg mixture to 160° | Cook over low heat until thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film about 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate to chill thoroughly, at least an hour.
|
| Pie meringues | 144-149° | Bake meringue at 325° for 20-30 minutes for soft meringue. The more egg whites, the lower the oven temperature, and the longer cooking time. |
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