How to Pasteurize Eggs

For popular recipes such as mayonnaise, hollandaise and royal icing, raw and partially cooked eggs are a necessity. However, raw or partially-cooked chicken eggs can carry salmonella bacteria. You can still enjoy these recipes with peace of mind after pasteurizing eggs. The process of pasteurization brings eggs to a temperature that kills dangerous pathogens.

How to Pasteurize Eggs on the Stove

1. Start with room temperature eggs: Starting with eggs that aren’t cold ensures you pasteurize the entire egg, rather than just the parts closest to the shell. Use fresh eggs with no cracks and let them come to room temperature.
2. Cover the eggs with 1 inch of water: Fill a small saucepan with cool water and gently put the eggs in the pan. Make sure they are covered by 1 inch of water.
3. Heat the water slowly to 140° F and hold for 3.5 minutes: Put the pan on medium heat. Let the water slowly come to 140° F. Check the temperature of the water with an instant-read or candy thermometer. Hold that 140° temperature for 3.5 minutes for large eggs or 5 minutes for extra-large eggs (eggs between 64 and 70 grams).
   Keep an eye on the temperature this whole time, adjusting the burner or moving the pan as needed to maintain the correct temperature.
4. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool: Use a slotted spoon and gently transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool them down. Your eggs are now pasteurized!
5. Mark and refrigerate: Use a permanent marker to mark your eggs so you know they’re pasteurized. Use them right away or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

How to Pasteurize Just Egg Whites or Yolks

1. Bring water to a boil and separate the eggs: Bring a large pan saucepan of water to a boil. While you wait, crack as many room-temperature eggs as you need into a heatproof bowl. If you only need to pasteurize egg yolks, you can do just the yolks. Conversely, if you only need to do the whites, just do the whites.
2. Add water to the bowl of eggs: Add 2 tablespoons of tap water for each whole egg used, or for each single yolk or egg white.
   For example, if you used egg whites from two eggs, add four tablespoons of water to the bowl of egg whites. If your recipe calls for liquid such as milk, stock, or lemon juice, you may use that instead of water.
3. Set the bowl over the pot of simmering water and scrape for 2-3 minutes: Set the bowl on top of the saucepan of simmering water and turn off the heat. Use a silicone spatula to constantly scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Don’t beat in air; this constant motion is to keep the eggs from scrambling and to maintain a constant temperature.
   Do this for 2-3 minutes, or until the water in the pan has cooled to lukewarm.
4. Use immediately.

Source: Simply Recipes