Eggs at room temp?

[iamafoodie]

Here is another question for the group....

When baking do you set out your eggs on the counter and let them come to room temperature before adding them to your other ingredients?

I think it was the Barefoot Contessa on one of her older shows that said she does this. I don''t remember the reasoning.....maybe it makes the batter lighter and again it may have been for the particular dessert she was making too. I don't remember what she was making at the time.
She also said that if you didn't have time you could set them out on your counter the night before.

What is everyones opinion on this?.....come on...I know you have one

 

[menumaker]

I prefer to use my eggs at room temperature when I know I'm going to need them. They are much better this way especially when I am making Meringues. They seem to whip up far more. We used to keep them in the pantry when I was a kid. It may just be a matter of choice but I believe you get better results when used at room temperature

 

[Andy M.]

One of the 'rules' of baking is that all your ingredients should be at the same temperature. If I remember, I take things out in advance.

 

[kadesma]

One of the 'rules' of baking is that all your ingredients should be at the same temperature. If I remember, I take things out in advance.

Me too Andy. Works better that way
kades/ma

 

[Dawgluver]

Lots of places, Mexico comes to mind, leave their eggs out at room temp all the time.

 

[MrsLMB]

I will bring mine to room temperature for recipes but store them in the fridge. It must be because that's what my parents did and also because they are refrigerated when I purchase them. However, I knew a lady who had her own chickens and she never chilled her eggs.

I wonder when it began to be the norm to chill the eggs?

 

[bakechef]

Ingredients incorporate much more evenly when they are all at room temperature, especially in cakes. It improves the end result.

When I need to get them up to room temp fast because I forgot to take them out, I put them in a small bowl and fill the bowl with very warm tap water, they will be ready to use in about 10 minutes.

 

[tinlizzie]

Lots of places, Mexico comes to mind, leave their eggs out at room temp all the time.

I've heard that in places where there's lack of refrigeration, people coat the eggs with something like Crisco to seal the pores and protect the insides.

I, too, try to set eggs out on the counter early for whatever recipe.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I never remember to pull them out of the refrigerator ahead of time!

I like bakechef's tip, that would work for me!

When I was little my Grandmother did not refrigerate eggs and we seldom had a problem with bad eggs. The eggs were fresh and we had a new batch every day or so. Any that were left after a couple of days went into the dog's food dish or the pig's bucket. I have been told that it is not safe to take eggs that have been refrigerated and then leave them on the counter for extended periods of time. Now days I see no reason to take the risk.

If you think about it eggs were designed to be held at room temperature!

 

[Dawgluver]

I've heard that in places where there's lack of refrigeration, people coat the eggs with something like Crisco to seal the pores and protect the insides.

I, too, try to set eggs out on the counter early for whatever recipe.

I don't think where we've been in Mexico coats them with anything, they sit on huge pallets in the middle of the grocery stores. Fresh from the chickens. Or not, so far so good.

 

[Andy M.]

I will bring mine to room temperature for recipes but store them in the fridge. It must be because that's what my parents did and also because they are refrigerated when I purchase them. However, I knew a lady who had her own chickens and she never chilled her eggs.

I wonder when it began to be the norm to chill the eggs?

When eggs started coming from giant egg farms and not the farmer down the road. Refrigeration became necessary because eggs had to travel farther.

Eggs last seven times longer under refrigeration than at room temperature.

The American Egg Board has a great website with lots of information about eggs. It's worth looking at.

Incredible Edible Egg | Eggs | Egg Recipes, Egg Nutrition & Egg Facts

 

[bakechef]

I don't think where we've been in Mexico coats them with anything, they sit on huge pallets in the middle of the grocery stores. Fresh from the chickens. Or not, so far so good.

Went into a Super Walmart in Puerto Vallarta and it was interesting seeing how food is handled differently, eggs out at room temp, most milk sold was shelf stable in aseptic containers, with only a small section for refrigerated milk.

Oh and they had Philadelphia cream cheese singles, ready to lay on a bagel or sandwich, why don't we have that here?

I've heard that fresh eggs are good for 2 weeks at room temp.

 

[Dawgluver]

Went into a Super Walmart in Puerto Vallarta and it was interesting seeing how food is handled differently, eggs out at room temp, most milk sold was shelf stable in aseptic containers, with only a small section for refrigerated milk.

Oh and they had Philadelphia cream cheese singles, ready to lay on a bagel or sandwich, why don't we have that here?

I've heard that fresh eggs are good for 2 weeks at room temp.

Yes! We frequent Cozumel. Eggs are in abundance, sitting unrefrigerated in the middle of the store on huge pallets. No fresh milk to be found, it's all in cartons on the shelf that are good for 2 years or more. Not too bad if it's chilled.

 

[bakechef]

Yes! We frequent Cozumel. Eggs are in abundance, sitting unrefrigerated in the middle of the store on huge pallets. No fresh milk to be found, it's all in cartons on the shelf that are good for 2 years or more. Not too bad if it's chilled.

I like Cozumel, good vibe. I've visited via cruise ship many times, I would love to stay longer sometime.

 

[powerplantop]

I don't think where we've been in Mexico coats them with anything, they sit on huge pallets in the middle of the grocery stores. Fresh from the chickens. Or not, so far so good.

I saw the same in Colombia and Chile. Even in the big modern markets (even the ones owned by Wall-Mart)

 

[jusnikki]

I do set my eggs out to room temp but if I don't have time, I also place them in warm water.

For meringue, it's easier to separate yokes from whites while they're cold and then let them get to room temp.

 

[Andy M.]

We go to Aruba every winter. 12-13 years ago, when eggs arrived at the supermarket, the cartons were stacked on the floor in front of the refrigerated cases!? As time went by, they started putting the eggs into the refrigerated cases to appease tourists' sensibilities.

Now they are refrigerated but you still have to open the cartons and do some shuffling to get a full dozen unbroken eggs.

 

[Dawgluver]

I like Cozumel, good vibe. I've visited via cruise ship many times, I would love to stay longer sometime.

You have to stay longer. It's my favorite place in the world!

 

[bakechef]

I do set my eggs out to room temp but if I don't have time, I also place them in warm water.

For meringue, it's easier to separate yokes from whites while they're cold and then let them get to room temp.

I've experienced the opposite, for me they separate easier and cleaner when room temp. I use my hand to separate (let the whites slip through my fingers) and when room temp, it seems like the white separates cleanly from the yolk, so when I place the yolk in the bowl there is no white around the yolk.

 

[Claire]

Even for making pasta (I don't bake), my husband prefers the eggs to be at room temperature.