Eggs are one of the most reliable and adaptable ingredients in any kitchen. Used across cultures and cuisines, they can be simple or sophisticated—whisked into scrambled eggs, poached for brunch, baked into cakes, or transformed into silky custards. Most commonly, we use chicken eggs, but eggs from ducks, quail, and even geese also appear in both traditional and gourmet cooking.
At their core, eggs are a natural food package: full of nutrients, long-lasting, and incredibly functional in recipes. They’re central to home cooking, restaurant menus, and culinary traditions worldwide.
The Many Roles of Eggs
Eggs can do a lot in the kitchen. They can bind ingredients, like in meatballs or cakes. They can thicken sauces and custards. They can trap air and create lift in meringues and soufflés. They can even emulsify mixtures, helping oil and water come together in creamy dressings or mayonnaise.
In sweet dishes, eggs add richness and stability—think sponge cakes, cookies, and puddings. In savory cooking, they show up in frittatas, omelets, quiches, and more. Egg whites can be whipped into stiff peaks, while yolks add color and flavor to everything from sauces to pasta dough. Few ingredients are as useful or versatile.
Choosing the Right Egg
Freshness makes a big difference when cooking with eggs. A fresh egg has a thick, jelly-like white and a yolk that stands up tall and round. As the egg ages, the white becomes thinner and the yolk flattens.
One quick way to test an egg’s freshness is to place it in a glass of water. A fresh egg will sink and lie flat. If it stands up or floats, it’s older. A floating egg is usually too old to use safely.
Most grocery store eggs in the U.S. are washed and refrigerated to meet safety guidelines. However, in many parts of the world—including much of Europe, Asia, and Central and South America—eggs are not refrigerated in stores at all. This is because unwashed eggs keep a natural protective coating that helps block bacteria. Once that coating is removed (as it is in the U.S.), refrigeration becomes important to prevent spoilage and foodborne illness.
If your eggs come fresh from a local farm and haven’t been washed, they can be safely stored at room temperature for a week or more, especially in a cool, dry spot. Once chilled, though, eggs should stay refrigerated. Bringing cold eggs to room temperature and then returning them to the fridge can cause condensation and weaken the shell, increasing the risk of contamination.
Storing Eggs Properly
To keep eggs fresh as long as possible, store them with the pointed end down in their original carton. The carton helps reduce moisture loss and protects the eggs from absorbing odors from other foods in the fridge. Most eggs will last around three weeks in the refrigerator.
If you crack an egg and don’t use it all, store the leftover yolk or white in a sealed container in the fridge and use it within two days. Whole eggs can be frozen too—but they must be cracked and lightly beaten first. Add a pinch of sugar or salt depending on how you plan to use them (sweet or savory) to help preserve their texture.
Nutrition in Every Shell
Eggs are rich in high-quality protein and offer a balanced source of key nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and selenium. They also contain choline, which supports brain health. One large egg has around 70–80 calories and about 6 grams of protein.
Egg yolks do contain cholesterol, which once made people cautious, but for most healthy individuals, moderate egg consumption is considered safe and nutritious.
Cooking with Eggs
Eggs are sensitive to heat. Overcooking them can result in rubbery whites and dry, chalky yolks. When making custards, sauces, or scrambled eggs, use gentle heat and stir frequently.
Letting eggs come to room temperature before cooking often gives better results. For example, eggs that are too cold can cause baked goods to cook unevenly, or prevent sauces from emulsifying properly. On the other hand, very warm eggs can separate too easily when whipped.
When using eggs in baking or emulsions, try cracking them into a separate bowl first. This helps avoid getting bits of shell in your dish and makes it easier to catch any spoiled eggs before they’re added to your recipe.
Salt and Eggs
Salt changes how eggs behave. A small amount of salt can help egg whites whip more easily, which is useful in recipes like meringue. However, if salt is added too early during cooking, especially to scrambled eggs or baked egg dishes, it can thin out the texture and make the eggs weep or turn rubbery. For best results, season eggs right before cooking or just after they’ve begun to set.
Egg Sizes and Recipe Math
In most U.S. stores, egg sizes range from small to jumbo, but “large” eggs are the standard for most recipes. A large egg weighs about 2 ounces (56 grams) and contains roughly 1 tablespoon of yolk and 2 tablespoons of white.
If you’re scaling a recipe or working with bulk quantities, here’s a quick reference:
- 1 cup of egg whites = about 8 large egg whites
- 1 cup of yolks = about 12 yolks
- 1 cup of whole eggs = about 4 to 5 large eggs
When buying eggs outside the U.S., keep in mind that size labels may differ. For example, European eggs are labeled by weight class (S, M, L, XL).
How Many Eggs Per Person?
The number of eggs you’ll need depends on the dish. For breakfast dishes like scrambled eggs or omelets, plan on two eggs per person. For baked goods, follow the recipe. A single egg might be enough to enrich a batch of dough or hold meatballs together.
For something like a soufflé or a custard, you may need more eggs to achieve the desired texture and lift. Poached eggs served as an appetizer or over toast often call for just one egg per serving, but more for heartier plates.
How to Separate Eggs Easily
Separating eggs is a useful skill, especially for recipes that call for whites or yolks only. Here’s a simple three-step method:
- Crack the egg on a flat surface or sharp bowl edge.
- Let the yolk fall back and forth between the two shell halves, allowing the white to slip into a bowl below.
- If needed, gently remove the white threads (called chalazae) with your fingers or a small spoon.
It takes practice, but once you get the hang of it, separating eggs becomes second nature.
Final Thoughts
Eggs are an essential part of cooking for a reason. They’re affordable, nutritious, long-lasting, and endlessly flexible. Whether you’re baking a cake, poaching brunch, or whipping up a weeknight frittata, eggs bring structure, flavor, and richness to your meals.
In some parts of the world, they sit unrefrigerated on the counter. In others, they’re kept chilled from farm to shelf. However you store and cook them, understanding eggs just a little better can make you a much stronger cook.