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Separating
It is often necessary to separate egg whites and yolks for many recipes.
Beaten egg whites are used in many baked items and desserts such as meringues,
cakes, and soufflés, providing air and volume to the dish. Yolks
are required for sauces such as hollandaise and mayonnaise and for sweet
items such as butter cream frosting and custards. It is important to learn
proper methods for separating eggs successfully.
| Traditional Method |
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 The
traditional method for separating eggs is to break the egg over
a bowl, splitting the shell into halves, and then passing the contents
of the egg from one half of the shell to the other half. This allows
the white to fall into the bowl as the yolk is transferred back
and forth between the shell halves.
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is best to use three bowls for this method: one to catch the white
as the egg is being separated, one to store the separated whites,
and one to store the separated yolks. As the egg is being passed
between the shell halves, make sure the yolk does not break and
spill into the bowl containing the white. Once all of the white
has fallen into the bowl, the yolk can be placed into a different
bowl to store the yolks. It is also important to transfer the white
to a different bowl before separating the next egg. When separating
several eggs, you don't want to risk dropping any yolk into the
bowl of already separated whites. If this happens, it can be difficult
to remove the portion of yolk from the bowl of whites. Since most
recipes requiring beaten egg whites will be negatively affected
by the presence of any yolk, you may have to start over and waste
the egg whites that have already been separated.
One negative aspect of the traditional egg separating method is
the possibility that the contents of the egg may become contaminated
during the procedure. When the egg is passed back and forth between
the shell halves, it may become contaminated if bacteria are present
on the shell. Bacteria may be present on the shell even after it
is sanitized and the shell may also become contaminated from other
food sources that it may come in contact with.
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Needle Method
A second method that may be used for separating the white and the
yolk is to insert a needle into one end of the egg, creating a hole
that can be enlarged by moving the needle in a circular direction.
The egg white should drain through the hole, leaving the yolk behind.
The egg shell can then be cracked open to remove the unbroken yolk.
While this method may be easy to do, it can take awhile for the
egg white to drain from the shell. There is also a slight possibility
that this method may transfer germs existing on the shell to the
contents of the egg.
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Funnel Method
A third method of separating the white and the yolk is the funnel
method. Place a small funnel over a container and crack the egg
over the funnel. Be careful not to break the yolk. The egg white
should slide through the funnel opening into the container, leaving
the yolk behind. The yolk and the whites are then transferred to
other containers. Make sure that the funnel opening is small enough
so that the yolk does not slide through yet large enough so that
the whites can slide through easily. This method is more sanitary
because the contents of the egg have very little contact with the
outside of the shell.
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Separator Tool Method
Perhaps the easiest and most sanitary egg separation method is
with the use of an egg separating tool. It is basically a tray which
is centered in a circular frame with slots around the perimeter.
When the egg is broken over the separator, the yolk slides into
the center tray while the white falls through the slots in the frame
and into a container placed beneath the separator. The tools come
in different styles, are usually constructed of plastic or metal,
and are inexpensive.
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