The sun., 1901-05-12
OFFICIAL VIEWS OF EGGS.
THEIR VAIUE As FOOD Discussed IN A
FARMERS BrLLETIN.
Tests for Fresh EgEs-The Color OF tho Shell
Immstcrial-Method Of Cooking Eggs
Selling Egg by Meight Recommended


selling EEss by weight Recommended
Tho United States Department Of Asrl-
culture, believing that the people OF these
United States do not know how good for
them are eggs as food has issued Farmers
Bulletin No l2s, entitled Eggs and Their
Uses as Food It Is bv C. F Langworthy,
Phi u
Mr. Langworthy IN his introduction enum-
crates the sorts Of eggs from goose eggs 20
shad roe h,tegtion Ia called 70 the fact
that there ara two broad subdivisions into
Witch orgs may be divided those from which
the infant bird comes partly iledged and TO
degree able 70 care for itself, as do chicks
of tho common hen. and those from which
the babies issue naked and helpless. against
the assa,llts ~ hunger and cold, except as
they are protected by their parents, as ! the
Case Of rpsrrows and most Of the SIN aller
birds of the air
More nutritive material ls needed in the
first sort 81 eggs than in the second. OF course,
because n great deal more OF the youngstors'
life Ia developed inside Of the eggs.
According TO the best information OF the
author. there Is very little difference be-
tween tho eggs Of different breeds Of chickens
The color Of the eggshell, Notwithstanding a
decided opinion 70 tho contrary. has nothing
whatever TO do with tho contents. In many
experiment stations In many States there
have been careful analyses TO show that white
and brown shelled eggs have the same nutri-
tive qualities. If the hens which laid them
have been equally we'll fed
Eggs are Classed as among the most nu-
,ritious Of food sthfs They contain moro
water than chccaa hut nre more concen-
trated than milk or oysters. II Is true that
the favor ~ eggs Is affected by the food Of
the hens in some such degree as the flavor Of
milk Is affected by the pnsturage, That Is
the reason why eggs that ar. perfectly fresh
may not seem AZ 70 be used for any other
purpose than the polishing OF the soles OF
shoes in factories
Experiments in the disestibility Of eggs
show that hard-boicd and fried eggs re-
auired 81, hours for digestion, soft boiled
eggs required hours. roasted eggs q. hours,
raw ggs not whipped. hours and raw
eggs whipped. N hours. 1t has also been
established that from es to o. per cent. OF
an egg that is eaten IA dgested. Hard
boiled eggs will almost always produce more
disturbance Of the oven tenor OF the way
Of tho digestive organs than soft-boiled
eggs Tea. coffee and cocoa retard the di-
gestion OF eggs. but coffee retards the process
less than the others"
In the bulletin the following directions
are given as 10 the preparation of eggs as
food.
The following methods Of preparing soft
cooked und medium cooked eggs have been
found 70 give uniform results in laboratory
tests at the University OF Illinois: Using a
granite-ware stewpan OF one quart capacity,
one pint Of water was heated over gas
fame. when the water boiled the gas was
turned of and an egg which had been kept
IA a refrigerator was dropped into the water.
without disturbing the vessel 1t was covered
closely and tho egg al owed 10 remain in the
water six minutes II was then soft-cookcd
As shown by tests, when the egg was dropped
into the water the temperature fell almost
at once 10 1856 degrees Fahrenheit and then
slowly 10 I7O-i7i degrees Fahrenheit II tho
egg remained in the water eight minutes it
was medium-c cooked. In this case the tenn
perature of the water AZ the end Of the cooking
period had fallen 20 1G2 I6i degrees.
"Poach"d or dropped eggs are removed
from the shell and then cooked in water
Thudichum recommends tho uso Of slltod
water 80 which a very little vinegar has been
added The reason for this is perhaps q at
acetic acd vinegar tends 10 preciptarc
albumen that is, 20 prevent n loss due to
some OF the egg being dissolved in tho water
Flavor may also be one Of he objects sought
Fried eggs are generally cooked in "A fat
pan in little hot fat oil or butter. and may
be either soft or hard, according to the length
Of time employed IL the process Eggs ara
also occasionally baked In much the same
manner that tncy ar" fried
The omrlct Is generally regarded ms one
Of the most appeti2iug forms IN which eggs
can hu served II consists of the beaten
egg with y little milk. water and cream or
melted butter added. quickly cooked IN
little tat or butter IN a suitable pan and folded
over 80 that 1t may he turned OUT OF the pan
in a half round form some cooks insist
that IN" hest OmelctS are made by using hot
watcr instead Of milk or cream he hot
water II stirred into the egg yolk In the pro-
portion OF one tablespoon 10 an egg
SCrnmhlrd eggs resemble m once In
method of pr"pdrnt ion, hIt no Cuorl is made
tU preserve ih' characteristic form ana Ip-
pcurancc of ia" uWrlHi Generally 4p"nkluR.
hghtue's is desired IN thr umelct aud thorough
mixing IN scrambled eggs IN" former i
secured u" beating the Inter hv stirring
Om"lcis pTr also 'uhdr h' tho addition OF