Physical Structure and Composition of
Eggs
• 1. Shell The egg’s outer covering, the shell, accounts
for about 9 to 12% of its total weight depending on
egg size. The shell is the egg’s first line of defense
against bacterial contamination. The shell is produced
by the shell gland (uterus) of the oviduct, and has an
outer coating, the bloom or cuticle. The cuticle
somewhat seals the pores and is useful in reducing
moisture losses and in preventing bacterial
penetration of the egg shell.
•2. Air cell.
•This is the empty space between the white
and shell at the large end of the egg which is
barely existent in newly laid egg. When an egg
is first laid, it is warm. As it cools, the contents
contract and the inner shell membrane
separate from the outer shell membrane to
form the air cell.
• 3. Albumen/Egg white.
• Albumen, also called egg white, accounts for most of an egg’s
liquid weight, about 67%. This is produced by the oviduct and
consists of four alternating layers of thick and thin
consistencies. From the yolk outward, they are designated as
the inner thick or chalaziferous white, the inner thin white, the
outer thick white and the outer thin white. The outer thin white
is a narrow fluid layer next to the shell membrane. The outer
thick white is a gel that forms the center of the albumen. The
inner thin white is a fluid layer located next to the yolk. The
inner thick white (chalasiferous layer) is a dense, matted,
fibrous capsule terminates on each end in the chalazae, which
are twisted in opposite directions and serve to keep the yolk
• 4. Chalaza.
• This is the ropey strands of egg white at both sides
of the egg, which anchor the yolk in place in the
center of the thick white. They are sometimes
mistaken for egg imperfections or beginning
embryos, which of course they are not. The twist
in the chalaza is meant to keep the germinal disc
always on top whichever way the egg may turn.
The more prominent the chalaza, the fresher is
the egg
• 5. Germinal Disc.
• This is the entrance of the latebra, the channel
leading to the center of the yolk. The germinal
disc is barely noticeable as a slight depression on
the surface of the yolk. When the egg is fertilized,
sperm enter by way of the germinal disc, travel to
the center and a chick embryo starts to form.
Since table eggs are not fertilized, this is not as
easy to recognize as when the egg is fertilized.
• 6. Membranes.
• There are two kinds of membranes, one just
under the shell and the other covering the yolk.
These are the shell membrane and the vitelline
membrane. Just inside the shell are two shell
membranes, inner and outer. The air cell formed
due to the contraction of egg as it cools, is found
between the two layers of this shell membrane.
• The outer membrane sticks to the shell while the
inner membrane sticks to the albumen. During
storage, the egg losses water by evaporation,
causing the air cell to enlarge. The vitelline
membrane is the covering that protects the yolk
from breaking. The vitelline membrane is
weakest at the germinal disc and tends to
become more fragile as the egg ages. Every cook
has experienced that the yolk of eggs that are no
longer fresh easily break.
• 7. Yolk.
• The yolk or the yellow to yellow- orange portion makes up about 33%
of the liquid weight of the egg. The egg yolk is formed in the ovary.
On the surface of the yolk, there is a small white spot about 2 mm in
diameter. This is the germinal disc and it is present even if the egg is
infertile. In infertile eggs, the germinal disc contains the genetic
material from the hen only but when fertilized, it contains the zygote
that will eventually develop into a chick. The yolk material serves as a
food source for embryonic development. It contains all the fat in the
egg and a little less than half of the protein. The main protein in the
egg yolk is vitelline, a lipoprotein. It also contains phosvitin which is
high in phosphorus and has antioxidant properties, and livetin which
is high in sulfur.
Market Forms of Egg
•1. Fresh eggs or shell eggs
may be purchased
individually, by dozen or in
trays of 36 pieces.
•2. Frozen eggs – are made of
high quality fresh eggs. They
come in the form of whole eggs
with extra yolks and whites.
Frozen eggs are pasteurized and
must be thawed before use.
•3. Dried eggs – are seldom used.
Their whites are used for
preparing meringue. Dried eggs
are used primarily as ingredients
in food industry. They are not
commonly sold directly to
consumers.
•Uses of Eggs in Culinary Egg is cooked in
many ways. It can be the main protein
dish; it can be a main or accessory
ingredient in dishes from appetizers to
desserts. It can be cooked by dry heat,
moist heat, with or without oil, as simply
or as elaborately as one’s inclination for
the moment. Indeed it can be eaten
anywhere.
Effect of Heat on Eggs
•1. Coagulation of proteins: white at
60-650 C, yolk at 65-700 C. •
Beyond this temperature, over
coagulation occurs and water is
squeezed out causing shrinkage
resulting in a tough product.
• 2. Formation of greenish discoloration at the
interface of the yolk and white when egg is
overcooked
• Due to the reaction between the iron in the yolk and
the hydrogen sulfide liberated from the sulfur
containing ferrous sulfide.
• Reaction is favored by • high cooking temperature •
prolonged cooking
• Reaction is prevented by immediate cooling of the
egg (e.g. immersing in cold water) after cooking
Uses of Eggs
• A. Cooked and served “as is”, for example:
• in the shell – soft cooked (5 minutes simmering) or
hard cooked (15 minutes simmering)
• poached – cooked in simmering water; addition of
salt and vinegar hastens coagulation
• fried – keep low to moderate temperature
• scrambled – addition of sugar delays coagulation;
addition of liquids and acids decreases coagulation
point
• omelet
•B. Eggs as emulsifier
• Lecithin and lysolecithin are
responsible for the remarkable ability of
egg yolk to act as an emulsifying agent;
both are phosphoproteins containing
polar and non-polar ends such that the
polar end holds water while the non-
polar end holds the fat, thus, prevent oil
droplets in suspension from coalescing.
•C. As binding, thickening agent, and
gelling agents
• Eggs are useful as binding, thickening
and gelling agents because they contain
proteins that are easily denatured by
heat
• Using whole egg requires lower
coagulation temperatures resulting in a
stiffer gel
•Addition of sugar, raises coagulation
temperature producing softer, weaker gel
• Softer gel is produced with the addition of
scalded milk and acid
• In cooking custards, Bain Marie, double
boiler or steamer is used to avoid boiling
which can produce a porous custard
• Soft custards are produced by constant
stirring.
D. As foam
• When egg is beaten albumen is denatured, air is
incorporated as white is stretched into thin films
• With continued beating, the air cells are subdivided and
volume is increased • Protein network dries up and stabilizes
the gas or air foams
• If only egg whites are used, the color turns white and soft
peaks are formed. The egg proteins collect at the air/liquid
interface of the air bubble and undergo surface
denaturation.
• If whole eggs or only egg yolks are used, the color becomes
pale
• If whole eggs or only egg yolks are used, the color
becomes pale yellow with continued beating; volume
is increased (but not as much as when only whites are
used); no surface denaturation occurs.
• With further beating of egg whites, liquid drains out,
air bubbles coalesce and foam breaks.
• The same changes occur when the foam is allowed to
stand too long.
• Maximum stability is reached at soft stage while
maximum volume attained is at stiff stage
EGG DISHES
• Eggs cooked in a shell Hard and soft-cooked eggs are
cooked this way. Eggs should only be simmered and
not boiled to prevent overcoagulation which would
cause the eggs to be tough. The optimum cooking time
for eggs in shells is 20 to 25 minutes. To avoid cracking
of the eggs during cooking, refrigerated eggs should be
warmed at ambient temperature before cooking.
Before boiling, water at room temperature should be
used.
•of eggs may become greenish during
cooking. This color is due to the formation of
iron sulfide. Darkening often occurs in eggs
wherein the pH of the albumen is high. It
may also be a result of cooking too long at
very high temperature. To avoid this, fresh
eggs should always be used. Eggs should be
cooked within a minimum period and cooled
immediately in running water after cooking.
