Separating eggs is a process, generally used in

cooking Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to Outline of food preparation, prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric ...

, in which the

egg yolk Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...

is removed from the

egg white Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms arou ...

. This allows one part of the egg to be used without the other part, or each part to be treated in different ways. Recipes for

custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency fro ...

call for egg yolks, for example. The most common reason for separating eggs is so the whites can be whipped. Also, because

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...

is only found in the yolk, using only egg whites in a recipe will drastically reduce its cholesterol content.

Technique

All methods for separating eggs make use of the fact that the yolk can hold itself together while the white is more runny. Since the yolks of older eggs are more watery, which makes separation difficult, it is best to begin with the freshest eggs available. Although many recipes require eggs to be at

room temperature Colloquially, "room temperature" is a range of air temperatures that most people prefer for indoor settings. It feels comfortable to a person when they are wearing typical indoor clothing. Human comfort can extend beyond this range depending on ...

, it is easiest to separate eggs that are cold. Eggs that are at room temperature can be separated, but this requires greater caution to avoid breaking the yolk. One solution is to separate the eggs, cover them, and then allow them to come to room temperature. In this method eggs should not be allowed to sit too long because of the risk of bacteria growth. An alternative solution is to bring the bowl of egg whites (or yolks) up to temperature by placing it in another bowl of hot water.

Different methods: * Break the egg and use your fingers to strain out the yolk, while the whites run into the bowl below. * Crack the egg in half and cradle the yolk in one half of the shell (using the other half of the shell to keep it from slipping out) while draining the white into a bowl. If some white is left with the yolk, carefully pass the yolk back and forth between halves until it is all drained, being sure not to puncture the yolk on the sharp edges of the shell. Then deposit the yolk into another bowl. This method is discouraged by food safety experts due to the possibility of salmonella contamination. * Use an egg separator, a device that can be set over a bowl, with a cup to catch the yolk and vents to allow the white to pass down. * Break the egg into a funnel, capturing the yolk. * Break the egg on to a plate, and trap the yolk under a glass. Carefully, drain off the whites, lifting the glass slightly. * Use a needle to pierce the egg and run the whites out, leaving the yolk inside. * Break the egg into a bowl and suck out the yolk with a plastic bottle.

References

Cooking techniques Eggs (food) Culinary terminology {{cooking-stub