Pasteurized Eggs

Three safer alternatives to fresh eggs are eggs pasteurized in the shell, liquid eggs, and dried egg whites, all of which are available in supermarkets. Intact eggs, blended whole eggs, or separated yolks and whites can all be pasteurized by careful heating to temperatures between 130 and 140°F/55–60°C, just below the range in which the egg proteins begin to coagulate. Dried egg whites, which are reconstituted in water to make lightly cooked meringues, can be pasteurized either before or after the drying. For most uses, these products do an adequate job of replacing fresh eggs, though there is usually some loss in foaming or emulsifying power and in stability to further heating; and heating and drying do alter the mild egg flavor.