How (and Why) to Pasteurize Eggs in the Sous Vide Cooker
“I want eggs, Mommy” is one of those phrases that will distract me from everything I do and make me run to the kitchen. By the time my four-year-old says this out loud, he will have raw eggs in his hands. And if I’m not fast enough, they’ll end up on the floor too. “I’m sorry Mommy.”
This is why I pasteurize eggs. Raw eggs can carry salmonella bacteria , although it’s hard to know if your risk is vanishingly rare or just “probably not today.” In any case, one million people fall ill with salmonella every year in the United States. Because kids are more susceptible to food poisoning than adults, I don’t like it when my kids break raw eggs, track them around the house, and then lick their fingers. The sad reality of parenting is that it will likely happen in your home at least once.
You can buy eggs already pasteurized, but it’s not hard to do it yourself if you already have a submersible circulation pump (the same one you use for sous vide cooking). Do the same as Claire and place the eggs in water (no plastic bag needed) at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for 75 minutes. When they’re done, I like to write a “P” on each egg so I don’t confuse them with the truly raw eggs in the refrigerator.
Eggs come out with a slightly cloudy and thickened protein. This can affect the texture of some raw egg recipes , so you’ll want to add lemon juice or tartar if you need to beat the meringue.
Otherwise, they will cook perfectly according to any recipe. I can let my kids “help” cook a regular scrambled eggs and not worry about this reflex movement of “wiping my hands on my shirt”. I’ve also used them for royal icing and other recipes that require raw eggs. You can even make a raw cookie dough out of them by first heating the flour in the microwave (unfortunately, flour can carry germs too). Whatever happens to raw eggs in your home, it can happen a little safer if the eggs are pasteurized.