How to choose quality eggs for Easter?

On the eve of the Orthodox Easter presenter Alexander Lukyanenko and the project experts told how to choose the right fresh eggs and how they are useful for the body.

Every year in the world people eat about 600 billion chicken eggs, and the average Ukrainian consumes 173 pieces a year. Eggs are a valuable source of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals and can be prepared quickly and easily. What are the benefits of eggs for our body? Is it safe to eat raw eggs? And how many pieces can you eat per day?

“The main benefit of chicken eggs is the availability of easily digestible protein, which with regular use helps to increase muscle mass, strengthen bones, maintain brain function, reduce blood pressure, - says nutritionist Elena Mikhailenko. – But these are not all the useful properties of the product. Eggs increase immunity, help fight against adverse environmental influences, infections and stress, normalize metabolism and protect against premature aging. If you want to stay fit, eat eggs. It is a healthy and tasty food that is always at hand. But in their use there must also be a measure. I recommend eating no more than one egg a day. "

What to look for when choosing eggs, said Oksana Prokopenko, an expert on food quality and safety:

• Marking. If it says D - this is a dietary egg, it is the freshest, it is no more than seven days old. If C is indicated, this is a table egg, it is up to 25 days old. The shelf life of such eggs depends on the conditions in which they are stored. If table eggs are kept at a temperature not higher than two degrees Celsius, then they can be consumed for three months. At storage temperatures up to 20ºC, table eggs will be of good quality for 3 weeks.
• Category. The criterion by which eggs are awarded a particular category is mass. The largest eggs, weighing 75 grams or more, belong to the highest category and are marked with the letter "B". Slightly inferior to them are selected eggs - "O". The weight of eggs in this category ranges from 65-75 grams. The following categories of table eggs are marked with numbers: eggs weighing 55-65 g - "C1", weighing 45-55 g - "C2".
• Weight. When choosing eggs at the store, remember that fresh eggs are heavier. But if the egg is suspiciously light, and even when shaken, something flounders in it, you definitely should not take it.
• Pollution degree. It doesn't matter what color the egg is. Whether it is white or brown - this does not affect the taste in any way. But the degree of contamination of the shell can tell a lot. Eggs are usually not washed in poultry farms. They are protected by nature itself and can be stored for a long time at room temperature. Therefore, slight contamination, adhering straws or drips on a whole, strong shell are considered perfectly acceptable. But too clean or, conversely, contaminated shells are undesirable. A dirty egg signals that poultry conditions are poor at the farm.
• Appearance. The shell must be strong, without cracks or chips. Shine the eggs in the light: choose only those where there are no microcracks. Salmonella is not in the egg initially, it gets there from the shell. The more cracks on the egg, the higher the likelihood that it is infected with a dangerous parasite
• Smell. Fresh eggs are odorless. Therefore, if you smell some kind of "flavor", most likely, the egg is spoiled.

«You can check whether the eggs bought in the store are suitable for consumption at home, - says the host of the "Useful Program" Alexander Lukyanenko. – To do this, simply dip the egg into a glass or jar of water. A fresh egg will drown, a slightly lying egg will float approximately in the middle, and a rotten egg will float. After handling fresh eggs, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water to prevent salmonella or coronavirus from getting on other foods or into your body.».

How to cook eggs properly, said the chef Sergey Shelestov:

1. Wash eggs thoroughly in hot, soapy water. Be aware that germs from the shell of eggs can enter the stomach and cause digestive problems.
2. Place the eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring water to a boil over low heat. In order to properly boil the eggs, the water temperature must rise gradually.
3. Time the boil in boiling water. When cooking "by eye", you run the risk of either not boiling the eggs or digesting them and getting an unnecessarily dry yolk. To boil poached eggs, 2 minutes is enough, soft-boiled - 3-4 minutes, eggs in a bag - 5 minutes, hard-boiled eggs - 8 minutes.
4. Cool the boiled eggs into a shock: place in ice water for 3 minutes. Slightly remember the shell before eating. This will help you remove it quickly and easily.

“Whatever you paint eggs on Easter Eve, they should be eaten on a holiday, - advises Alexander Lukyanenko. - Boiled eggs are stored for no more than 36 hours, and then become potentially dangerous. And it is better to store ready-made colored eggs not in cells on the door, but in a plastic container on the top shelf of the refrigerator. "

Which eggs are healthier - poached, soft-boiled or hard-boiled? What is the difference between chicken and quail eggs? How to make an ostrich egg omelet? For more useful information about eggs, see the Useful Program talk show: