Guide to Eggs

What came first: the chicken or our love affair with eggs? They're nutrient-dense and provide vitamins B2 and A as well as iron. And eggs have the highest quality protein of any food.

But still they've gotten a bad rap, it seems, because of their cholesterol content. Go ahead and enjoy those rich, lovely yellow eggs since some experts now state that dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol levels. (For more on this, see Eggs and Your Nutrition.)

We're happy to report that all of the eggs you find in our stores are cage-free eggs. Read on for more information about what to look for when choosing eggs, and most importantly, how to use them.

Eggs 101

With so many eggs available—different colors, sizes and origins—the choice may seem a bit overwhelming, but we're going to give you a few quick and easy details that will help. When choosing eggs, keep the following in mind:

• Brown shelled eggs only indicate that the eggs were produced by a different breed of hen than those that produce white shelled eggs. They don't actually taste different because of the color of the shell.
• Organic eggs come from chickens raised on organic feed in cage-free living conditions strictly regulated by National Organic Standards as set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• Omega-3 or DHA eggs are from chickens that have been fed a diet supplemented with a source of omega-3 fatty acids (often flax seed).

Making the Grade

Eggs are graded for quality, depending on their interior and exterior characteristics. Typically, they're sized and graded by producers without USDA supervision, and in those cases the USDA seal can't appear on the label. USDA inspection is only required if the producer or distributor sells eggs produced at other farms or if the flock numbers more than 3,000 hens.

Grade AA is the best for quality and freshness, then Grade A, followed by Grade B; however, none of these grades signal poor quality eggs.

Traditionally, eggs' interior characteristics were judged using "candling"—holding each egg in front of a lit candle—to see the quantity and qualities of yolk and white within each shell, though the technique has been modernized these days.

Sizing of eggs is based on the total weight per dozen eggs and works like this:

• Jumbo = 30 ounces per dozen
• Extra Large = 27 ounces per dozen
• Large = 24 ounces per dozen
• Medium = 21 ounces per dozen
• Small = 18 ounces per dozen

Eggs and Your Nutrition

When it comes to value and high-quality nutrition, we award eggs the winning prize, hands down. In addition to being a source of good-quality protein, eggs provide vitamin B2, as well as vitamin A and iron.

Note that much of the nutrition in eggs is found in the yolk. And if you're worried about the cholesterol content of eggs, research from the American Heart Association suggests that eating one egg each day is okay for most people, provided your total daily cholesterol intake doesn't exceed 300 mg, as recommended by the AHA, that is. For an added nutritional boost, try omega-3 enriched eggs.

Yolks vs. Whites

We know eggs are much-loved for being a value-priced source of protein, but it's important for you yolk-avoiders to know that the protein and riboflavin content of eggs is equally divided between both the yolk and the white.

To boot, most of the eggs' other nutrients — iron and vitamins A, D and B12 — are found only in the yolk. We know what you're thinking: isn't all of the fat and cholesterol in eggs solely in the yolk? It is, but just keep in mind that there's plenty of good stuff in there, too.

Cooking Eggs: Scrambled, Poached or Fried?

Tell us how you like your eggs and we'll tell you who you are. Scrambled, poached, fried, in omelets, hard-boiled, over easy, sunny side up, in quiche…should we keep going?

Amazingly, eggs can go from raw to soft and rich in just a minute or two, so watch them closely to ensure they won't get overcooked. As you probably already know, for every fluffy, perfectly-cooked scrambled egg out there there's a rubbery fried egg with a sad, dry yolk just waiting to frighten you off. So here are a few tips to avoid the latter:

• In sauces and casseroles, cream, butter and cheese not only complement the richness of eggs with their flavor; their fat counteracts curdling. Good news to keep in mind the next time you're making hollandaise sauce.
• If the recipe you're making requires tempering the eggs (whisking a bit of hot liquid into the eggs to warm them up before adding them to hot ingredients to avoid curdling), listen up! Otherwise, you'll likely wind up with a bowl of scrambled eggs.
• If anyone's ever accused you of not knowing how to boil an egg, don't worry! Simply cook them in water that is just below boiling to prevent cracking or overcooking. To avoid grayish-colored yolks, don't overcook your eggs and cool them in a bowl of ice water as soon as they're removed from the pot. This also helps them peel easier. (Peeling them under running water will ease the process, too.)