How to store eggs plus ingredient substitutions for home cooking and baking recipes

Concerns about a nationwide egg shortage are growing as an outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) continues to spread through Victorian poultry farms. But buying, storing, and using substitutes carefully can help home cooks pull through.

Five farms have reported incidents of bird flu, which has led to the culling of more than 600,000 chickens, which is expected to affect egg supplies and prices in the coming weeks.

On Sunday, Coles introduced a temporary limit of two cartons of eggs per customer. The move affects stores in all states except Western Australia.

Victorian Industry Minister Natalie Hutchins says egg supplies should remain steady if the virus is contained in an area and warns against stockpiling.

“Consumers rely heavily on eggs, far beyond cooking or scrambling. It's an essential source of good value protein,” says RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi. “We can't afford to waste a single more egg.”

purchases

Check the bottom of the egg cartons for any signs of cracking and open the carton to make sure all the eggs are intact, Maehashi says.

“Buy jumbo eggs if you want value for money by weight, but be careful with them if you're baking because standard recipes use 'large eggs,' which are smaller,” she says.

Egg producer and Victorian Farmers Federation vice-president Danyel Cucinotta says local and independent supermarkets will have the best prices.

Eggs can also be purchased directly from farmers through farmers markets and online services like Open Food Network and Farm2Market, while online directories like Local Harvest and Straight to the Source list independent producers and retailers in your area.

And if everything fails? “Suggest a friend who has their own chickens,” suggests Maehashi.

Separate clear boxes are not affected by Coles purchase limits. Brands like Puregg contains 100% egg whites, with no added stabilizers.

storage

The not-for-profit, farmer-owned research and development company Australian Eggs advises storing eggs in their carton in the fridge to protect the porous shells from possible bacterial contamination.

“Don't transfer them to the door egg rack, if you have one, as they don't like the temperature changes experienced with the constant opening and closing of the door,” says Maehashi.

She suggests putting the cardboard toward the back of a center shelf, with the temperature around 4 degrees.

It is possible to freeze eggs, although not in their shell. Crack the eggs into a bowl with a lid and whisk the egg whites and yolk together, or separate them into separate bowls, leaving a little space at the top of the bowl for expansion. Seal and refrigerate, labeling container with contents and date.

Frozen eggs should stay fresh for a year, but are best used within four months. Thaw by leaving them in the fridge overnight and cook to eat as soon as they are thawed.

Freezing hard-boiled eggs is not recommended as they will become hard and watery.

“Lay and fry eggs while they're still fresh and save the older eggs for baking cakes and making omelets.”

Jill Dupleix

use–by dates

In Australia, best before dates are calculated as six weeks from the day the eggs were packed into the box.

Check the dates on the cartons, buy the ones with the earliest date to make sure they are as fresh as possible.

Cookbook author and food writer Jill Dupleix advises using fresh eggs for poaching and frying, saving older eggs for baking cakes and making omelets and scrambled eggs, “dishes where they don't need to hold their shape.”

“Also, older eggs are the easiest to peel when hard-boiled, and fresh eggs are the hardest,” he says.

You can spot a spoiled egg by the beads of moisture or slimy texture on its shell, which indicate the presence of bacteria.

Australian Eggs says it's possible to tell how fresh an egg is by lowering it into a bowl of water. If the egg is old and too much air has permeated the shell, it will float. If the egg is fresh, it will sink to the bottom.

Still not sure? Open it (in a separate bowl, not with other ingredients). “If you can smell even a hint of sulfur, it's off, and cooking will only make it worse…get rid of it,” says Dupleix.

Egg substitutes

Plant-based egg substitutes have evolved far beyond the grainy, glue-like flax “eggs” of the past. Just egg is a standout Made from lupine bean protein, this yellow substitute makes a convincing scrambled egg or omelet when seasoned just right.

Newcomer Only Ex sells plant-based products that look like egg yolks, poached eggs, egg “scrambles” (for use in stir-fries, for example) and even tamagoyaki (a type of Japanese omelet made with beaten eggs ).

Orgran No Egg is an egg substitute that can be used in simple cake and cookie recipes. It is widely available in large supermarkets.

There's also the excellent trick of using aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, as an egg white substitute in baking recipes.

But Maehashi is not convinced by egg substitutes. “I personally wouldn't try to replace eggs in baking. As for salty foods, I'd look for other good value protein sources like tinned fish,” she says.

“Canned sardines are a favorite at the moment and of course for everyday cooking, I look for nothing but good canned tuna.”

Dupleix advises making the eggs go further by adding milk when beating the eggs to make a scramble or frittata. “It also gives the finished dish a nice creaminess,” he says.