Eggs

Separating Eggs

Separating eggs can be a tricky operation at the best of times even if you can see, but don’t be put off from having a go. It is possible to
do it successfully, even if you, like myself, don’t have any useful
vision at all.

There are several ways of going about this, some people use the method whereby you make a small hole in one end of the shell, letting the egg white trickle
out slowly into a bowl, leaving the yolk, intact still inside the shell, but
the yolk can be easily pierced and not all of the white can be extracted. I
have tried to give you the most reliable way of separating them here.

First of all, search the shops and hardware stores for a large, solid plastic or metal egg separator that has a flat base or bottom with a deep central
well, a handle on one end and a lip on the other.
Make sure that your eggs are as fresh as possible. From my own experience, it doesn’t matter at all whether they are barn, farmed or free range, its the
temperature and consistency of the egg that determines how easy it is going
to be to separate it successfully.
Take your eggs out of the fridge an hour or so before you need to separate them and let them come up to room temperature.

You are going to need to use1 teacup standing on a large plate, , a blunt
edged flat bladed kitchen knife and two sturdy glass or ceramic bowls which
are better than plastic as there is less chance of them tipping over, one
to hold the yolks and the other for the egg whites.

Firstly, make sure that your egg separator will sit firmly and safely over the top of the teacup, so that the handle and lip rest on the rim of the cup,
to support it. Stand them on a large plate, to catch any spillage.
Take an egg in one hand and the flat-bladed knife in the other. Find the centre of the depth of the egg and gently tap all the way round its diameter
with the edge of the knife so that you can just feel that the shell is slightly cracked and crinkly. The idea is that you begin to weaken the shell, all
the way round. Don’t use too much pressure as you tap, and try to
turn the egg gently, this way, there will be less chance of you breaking the yolk before the egg is separated.

Next, hold the egg in both hands, so that your thumbs support it underneath
and your fingers are resting lightly on top.
Press up with your thumbs and down with your fingers around the part of the shell you have just weakened by tapping it with the knife. The idea is
that you should now be able to pull the two halves of the shell apart without putting too much pressure on the egg. Using the sides of your little fingers
to keep your hands in close contact with the egg separator, move your hands apart as the shell opens. Let the contents inside, fall centrally
in to the well of the separator. I no this is easier said than done, but,
if you are careful and do this gently, without breaking the solid yolk, the egg white should, automatically find its way down through the slots in the separator,
into the cup below.

Leave it there for a minute or so to let the egg white the more liquid part
of the egg, run through, then gently and carefully, transfer the yolk the firmer
part of the egg, which should now be left sitting nicely in the centre of the
separator, into a bowl.

Pour the white from the cup into the other bowl.
Repeat this process with your other eggs.

Wash your hands thoroughly before continuing with your recipe, do not be
tempted to lick your fingers or put your hands to your face, as some eggs contain the salmonella bacteria and could cause you to have an upset tummy.