Eggs

2. Types, Sizes and States of Eggs

The smallest egg is the quail egg, followed by the chicken egg. Next in size is a duck egg (about 1.5x the size of a chicken egg), the goose egg (about 2-3x the size of a chicken egg) and finally an ostrich egg (which is about 8-12x the size of a chicken egg).  The size and flavour of these eggs lends them to different uses.     

Chicken eggs are the most common egg. They are graded based on mass (grams), where large is the most predominant egg in commercial service operations. The full range is:

Small: more than 33g (<43g)

Medium : more than 43g (<51g)

Large: more than 51g (<59g)

Extra large: more than 59g (<66g)

Jumbo: more than 66g

Eggs can also come in available in different states, namely…

1.       Fresh eggs
These will have a use by date on each individual egg or on the packaging.

2.       Frozen eggs
Are available in pulp (the whole egg) or individual whites and yolks. Both come without shells. Egg pulp is commonly used for industrial baking (as it is time saving) and the eggs are normally homogenised and pasteurised before freezing.

3.       Dehydrated eggs
Similar to frozen eggs, they are available whole, or in individual parts. They are used in custard powders, cake mixes and soups. Dehydrated eggs must be kept in the refrigerator.