Evening star., 1936-04-15
and Dated Eggs Prove Economically Helpful Housewf
For Certain Purposes
Less Expensive Types
Are Very Satisfactory
Government Standards Are Being Used More
and More as Demand for Them
Shows Increase.

through several hands, and by the
time they reach consumers In New
York, for example, the eggs are as
much as three weeks old.
II Il n
"RECAUSE the quality of the eggs is
gradually changing with their
age, most Of the commercial shipments
are graded when received by the
wholesaler or the dealer, and dated
then. While in the store the very
best eggs-Grade AA, or Special as
graded by Government standards
may remain in that grade three or
four days if kept under the best con-
ditions. After that they would prob
ably be Grade A, or Extra for the
next five or six days. Then they would
be Grade B. or Standard and re-
main so about 10 days. Grade G, or
Trade quality goes down more rap
idly, and in three or four days more
become inedible. The packaged eggs
shipped from the Middle West to New
York under ordinary conditions the
whole three weeks Of their life are
mostly Grade B when they appear on
the market, according to the egg spe-
cialists.
I'm first-quality eggs the shell must
be strong, sound, free from any cracks
or checks, regular In shape and clean
for dirty eggs spoil more rapidly
than clean eggs. The air cell, at the
large end of the egg, must be small,
not over an eighth Of an inch in depth
in first-quality egg, and it should be
fixed in position. Large air cells in
dicate possible staleness, and freely
movable ones indicate broken shell
membranes. The yolk in f1rst-qual-
ity egg should be seen very dimly before
the candle, and should have very little
freedom of motion. When the egg is
broken, the yolk should stand up well.
in a rounded shape. The white should
be firm and clear, and should not
spread out much when the egg is
broken. The germ spot should show
no development whatever.
OUCH an egg is grade AA or 'spe-
cial'-but it is evident that there
cannot be, relatively speaking, very
many grade AA eggs on the market,
because they cannot be gathered and
delivered as rapidly as that to any
but a local market Grade A, or
extra eggs are abundant, however,
and the difference between A and AA
is scarcely noticeable. The air cell
is a trifle deeper a. inch instead of
ls), the yolk and the white do not
stand up quite so firmly. In grade B.
standard these characteristics are
little more advanced. and in grade c,
trade still more so.
Dated eggs usually carry on the
label information as to their size
large medium small The large
eggs must weigh at least "a ounces
to the dozen, the medium eggs at
least 20l2 ounces, the small eggs, OF
course, fall below the medium size.
"All this applies to storage eggs as
we'll as those sold fresh or fresh
gathered Vast quantities of the eggs
bought by wholesalers and jobbers are
put into cold storage for out-of-sea-
son use. coming on the markets weeks
or months after they are laid. Their
grade then depends upon the storage
conditions and length of time, in ad-
dition to their original quality and the
pre-storage methods of handling. The
physical characteristics of the egg are
the same whether in storage or not.
Flavor, however, may change in
storage. Therefore. Government
standards require that storage eggs of
the two best grades GA and AA) shall
be so labeled when sold under certif-
Gates of quality