Greening
Cooked eggs may turn green (a natural chemical reaction) if held over heat for an extended period of time. Here's how to avoid it:

Solutions:

Omelets and Scrambled Eggs
• » Use fresh eggs (Grade AA or A). Greening is more likely in older eggs.
• » Cook eggs in small batches, no larger than three quarts.
• » Substitute a medium white sauce for the liquid in the egg mixture. (One part white sauce to five parts egg.)
• » Use temperatures of 140°F and above for steamtable holding.
• » Do not hold hot foods on buffet line for longer than one hour.
• » Use only stainless steel equipment and utensils.
• » Try a liquid egg product if greening is frequent. (Many of these contain citric acid which retards greening.)
• » Beat in 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice for every 18 large eggs, or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid crystals for every dozen large eggs to prevent greening.

Hard-Cooked Eggs
• » Simmer eggs (185-190°F) in water. Don't boil.
• » Cool immediately in cold water. Peel when cool.

Weeping
Water separating from cooked eggs is caused by overcooking or by cooking and holding at high heat or from the addition of watery ingredients. Here's how to avoid it:

Solutions:

Scrambled Eggs
• » Prepare eggs in small batches, no larger than three quarts.
• » Substitute a medium white sauce for the liquid in the egg mixture. (One part white sauce to five parts egg.)
• » Use temperatures 140°F and above for steamtable holding.
• » Use egg products with stabilizers (i.e. gums) added.
• » Limit the amount of added ingredients and make sure they are well-drained.

Meringues (Due to under-coagulation of the foam during beating or cooking)
• » Beat whites until frothy before adding sugar.
• » Add sugar slowly.
• » Stop frequently and lift whites from bottom of bowl to ensure thorough and even beating.
• » Use a clean metal or glass - not plastic - bowl.
• » Beat until sugar is dissolved, the peaks barely fold over and whites do not slip from sides when bowl is tilted.
• » If the meringue is to be used on a pie, place it on a hot 160°F or above filling, and brown immediately at 350°F, for approximately 15 minutes (3 egg white meringue).
• » For pie meringues containing a larger number of egg whites, reduce baking temperature and increase baking time to achieve temperature of 160°F in center of meringue.

Baked Custards (includes quiches, custard pies, timbales)
• » Blend egg and milk mixture thoroughly so that no strands of white remain.
• » Cook only until custard tests done.
• » Use a water bath for even cooking. Place baking pan in larger container and fill larger container with hot water to within one inch of top of custard.
• » Baked custards, quiches, custard pies, and timbales should be baked to an internal temperature of 160°F and mixture tests done (knife inserted near center removes cleanly).

Rubbery and Dry Eggs
The problem is the result of overcooking and high heat. It generally follows weeping. Here's how to avoid it:

Solutions:

Omelets and Scrambled Eggs
• » Cook at medium heat until no visible liquid egg remains.
• » Cook in small batches, no larger than three quarts.
• » Use a medium white sauce as liquid in egg mixture. (One part white sauce to five parts egg.)
• » Use temperatures 140°F and above for steamtable holding.

Fried
• » Cook over medium heat on preheated grill or in preheated pan.
• » Use the right amount of fat to avoid toughening, about one teaspoon per egg.
• » Baste with fat or steam-baste by adding small amounts of water and covering.

Checking for Freshness
The first step toward a delicious—and safe—egg dish is to select only fresh eggs. Here are a few simple tips to help make sure you do.

Solutions:

Determining Egg Freshness
• » Know when eggs were purchased and how long your eggs have been stored.
• » Fresh eggs should appear clean and unbroken.
• » Fresh eggs feel cool and dry to the touch.
• » When in doubt, throw them out.

Shelf Life
How long do raw eggs "keep" when properly stored? When should cooked egg dishes be replaced in buffets? Here are several good "rules of thumb." And remember, a properly cooled refrigerator should always be at or below 40°F, and freezers at or below 0°F.

Solutions:

Raw Eggs in Shell
• » It is best to store eggs in the case or carton.
• » When kept refrigerated in their raw shells, eggs last up to 4 to 5 weeks without significant loss of quality. But remember, the clock on those "4 to 5 weeks" starts the moment eggs are laid. To be safe, keep refrigerated raw eggs in shell for no more than three weeks.

Egg Whites
• » Raw egg whites can be refrigerated up to four days.
• Egg Yolks

• » Unbroken raw yolks covered in water in a tightly sealed container can be refrigerated up to two days.
• » Hard-cooked yolks can be kept four to five days when well drained, stored and refrigerated in a tightly sealed container.

Hard-Cooked Eggs
• » Avoid freezing hard-cooked eggs, or hard-cooked whites as freezing causes them to be tough and watery.
• » Hard-cooked eggs in the shell last up to one week when properly refrigerated.

Cooked Egg Dishes
• » No cooked egg dish should be left out at room temperature for more than two hours.
• » Allow no more than 30 minutes to one hour to elapse when serving dishes outside in weather hotter than 85°F.

Doneness Guidelines
Eggs are incredibly versatile, able to be prepared using a variety of culinary techniques. How can you tell when they are done to perfection? Try using these guidelines.

Solutions:

Scrambled Eggs, Omelets and Frittatas
• » Cook until the eggs are firm throughout and no visible liquid egg remains.

Fried Eggs
• » Cook until the whites are completely set and firm.
• » To cook both sides while increasing the overall temperature of the eggs, cook slowly and either baste the eggs, cover the cooking pan with a lid, or turn the eggs.
• » Cook until yolks begin to thicken (no longer runny, but not hard).

Soft-Cooked Eggs
• » Bring eggs and water to a full, rolling boil.
• » Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 4 to 5 minutes.

Hard-Cooked Eggs
• » Bring eggs and water to a full, rolling boil.
• » Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 14 to 17 minutes.
• » While cooking easily raises the internal temperature to 160°F (killing any Salmonella bacteria), hard-cooked eggs can spoil more quickly than raw eggs.
• » Refrigerate hard-cooked eggs in their shells promptly and use them within 1 week.

Poached Eggs
• » Cook in gently simmering water until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken.
• » Avoid recooking and reheating poached eggs.

Soft (Stirred) Custards (including cream pie, eggnog, and ice cream bases)
• » Cook to 160°F and until thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film.
• » Cool quickly by setting pan in ice or cold water, stirring for a few minutes.
• » Cover and refrigerate for a least one hour to chill thoroughly.

Soft Pie Meringue
• » Bake a 3-egg white meringue spread on a hot, fully cooked pie filling in a preheated 350°F oven for about 15 minutes until meringue reaches 160°F or higher.
• » For meringues using more eggs, bake at 325°F (or even lower temperature) until 160°F.
• » Refrigerate meringue-topped pies until serving.
• » Always refrigerate leftovers.

Miscellaneous Egg Recipes (French Toast, Monte Cristo sandwiches, crab or other fish cakes, quiches, casseroles, lasagna, and the like)
• » Cook or bake until a thermometer inserted at the center reads 160°F (most accurate method).
• » To ensure even heating, use a thermometer to measure temperatures at several locations throughout the dish.