Friday, January 29, 2021

Egg Weights , Grading and Blood Spots

                                  Egg Grading, Sizing and Freshness | Curbstone Valley

avg. price is $30+
Egg Weights and Grading
What are the functions of eggs in a recipe?
Why Do Some Eggs Have Blood Spots?
How To Detect These Spots?
 
  I weighed mine on a digital scale it would have been faster and easier to use a scale like the one above.

https://curbstonevalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/eggsizes.jpg
According to USDA guidelines, eggs are graded, in descending order as:

U.S. Grade AA – eggs have whites that are thick and firm; yolks that are high, round, and practically free from defects (including blood spots, and meat spots); and clean, unbroken shells.  Air cell depth may not exceed 3.2mm.

U.S. Grade A – eggs have characteristics of Grade AA eggs except the whites are “reasonably” firm. This is the quality most often sold in stores.

U.S. Grade B – eggs have whites that may be thinner and yolks that may be wider and flatter than eggs of higher grades. The shells must be unbroken, but may show slight stains. This quality is seldom found in retail stores because they are usually used to make liquid, frozen, and dried egg products, as well as other egg-containing products.

What are the functions of eggs in a recipe?
https://www.saudereggs.com/blog/what-are-the-functions-of-eggs/
 1. Structure --  Eggs Add Structure To Baked Goods
 2. Leavening -- Eggs Help Add Texture And Fluffiness
 3. Tenderizing --  Eggs Keep Baked Goods More Delicate
 4. Moisture -- Proteins in Eggs Hold The Moisture In
 5. Wash --  Eggs Help Add A Shiny Finish
 6. Emulsifying -- Eggs Help Ingredients Mix Better
 7. Flavor --  Eggs Add Flavor
 8. Color -- Eggs Add Color
 9. Nutrition -- Eggs Are Packed With Nutrition
10. Thickening -- Eggs Help Thicken Dishes

 Why Do Some Eggs Have Blood Spots?
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bloody-egg#prevalence

Blood spots are droplets of blood sometimes found on egg yolks.
Although egg producers consider them a defect, blood spots form naturally during the egg-laying cycle in some hens.
They do not indicate that an egg has been fertilized.
They are the result of rupturing of tiny blood vessels as eggs pass to the outside world
Finding an egg with a blood spot in its yolk is pretty uncommon.
The frequency of blood and meat spots is less than 1% in all eggs laid in commercial factories .
Egg color is a factor in the occurrence of blood spots.
The incidence of spots is around 18% in brown eggs, compared 0.5% in white eggs.
Additionally, older hens at the end of their egg-laying cycle and younger hens who just began laying eggs lay more eggs containing blood spots.
Poor nutrition including a lack of vitamin A and D and stress can also increase the chances.

How To Detect These Spots?

Commercially sold eggs go through a process called “candling” —  a bright light source to detect imperfections within the egg.
During the candling process, egg is discarded if imperfections are found.
Some eggs with blood and meat spots slip through the candling process unnoticed.
What’s more, blood spots in brown eggs are harder to detect using the candling process, as the shell is a darker color. As a result, brown eggs with blood spots are more likely to pass through the candling process undetected.




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