I would really like to just eat the eggs raw, rather than boil them, because it takes a lot of time to boil them, and I think that their nutrients diminish or get killed with the temperature. But I do think that they can't simply be eaten raw as there might be harmful substances, toxins, that aren't destroyed without the high temperature that makes the egg cooked.
Opinions vary on this topic. Some claim that raw eggs are perfectly safe whilst others believe there is a risl of salmonella. What has been proven though, is that when an egg does harbor salmonella, it is found on the shell only. So it's a good idea to wash your eggs in hot soapy water before cracking them.
I've been told that the odds of catching salmonella from commercially produced eggs is slimmer than winning the million dollar lottery. I don't personally worry about it too much if I am using eggs in a recipe and I want to take a taste of the recipe before cooking it, such as with cookie dough or cake batter. If you are really concerned, you could stick with powdered eggs, or pasteurized eggs. I'm not a fan of the pasteurized variety since they don't scramble up very well for some reason. But I did notice the powdered ones taste rather good when scrambled up. I had them for several days at a hotel buffet before someone explained to me they were made from powdered egg mix.
If you work with the right eggs you never encounter this issue. Totally agree with washing of the eggs. You'd be surprised with how many people don't even think to do this.
There are many alarmists on the net these days whose pessimistic views might convince you that something harmless could be bad for you. I'm not attempting to deny the obvious [you can get salmonella from raw eggs] but the odds are slim has it has been said. Nonetheless the taste of raw eggs though might convince @003 that cooking them might be the better option after all.
Raw eggs are okay as long as the source is reputable. In Japan it is a staple to eat raw eggs in almost every meal, if I'm not mistaken, and they are able to do it because their resources always have very strict standards. I personally would rather not eat raw eggs, more so in my country, but if I'm in Japan I might.
When I was a kid, my siblings and I would regularly lick the batter off the spoon even though it would have raw egg. I don't do that anymore and I am really careful about washing my hands in hot, soapy water right after cracking eggs. The way our eggs are produced commercially in the U.S., I'm not so sure anymore that eating raw eggs is such a good idea. I'd rather be safe than sorry on this one.
I'm with others here on the batter-tasting thing. I always do it, always have and I like a little bit of raw cookie dough, too, when I'm baking. I never really think about the eggs that are in the batter or dough, though. I have also been known to toss a raw egg into the glass when making a milkshake; but just a raw egg by itself would probably make me sick without getting salmonella.
I'm fond of real egg creams (raw egg, heavy cream, club soda, and some sort of flavoring) and real egg nog made at home so I'm not really someone to ask. I also frequently eat raw cookie dough, cake batter, and bread-stuffing (our family recipe contains raw egg in the mix). I have eaten those things since childhood and I have never gotten sick or hand an intestinal ailment from raw eggs. BUT I have a normal immune system and I always wash the egg shells with veggie wash before cracking them. The most common sickness from raw eggs (and it's not very common) is salmonella and the contamination usually happens on the outside of the shell at the processing facility or even in the grocery store. Unless the chicken was sick, the egg contents don't become contaminated with it until you break the shell. I think the most important thing is sourcing the eggs carefully.
It is totally fine as long as you are getting good quality eggs. Salmonella contamination comes from sick chickens. Chickens are more likely to be sick if they are not given good feed. Cheaper eggs are probably not the best to use for eating raw, or cooked for that matter as you can see and taste the lack of nutrients compared with those from chickens that had good feed. I would buy organic eggs if I was going to be eating them raw and had to purchase them from a store.
I just read that 100,000 (American) people die from salmonella poisoning from eggs every year. And I promise they aren't all eating raw eggs. I'm not an alarmist.. take it with a grain of salt if you wish, but commercial eggs are filthy. Most of us know that. Then the process to clean them, actually makes them more of a risk, not less. Also interesting note.. if egg farmers want some of the money set aside for marketing, they aren't allowed to say eggs are healthy or safe. That is so very telling. So you can tell who paid for their own advertising and who didn't by the words they use on the cartons.
My mom is from Japan and grew up eating raw eggs on rice, mixed into beans and as a dipping sauce for certain foods. She did it, so did as well. I haven't been sick from it nor has anyone else in our family. I would not be concerned about getting sick as long as you are well within the expiration date.
I didn't die of lung cancer after smoking for many years. I didn't get diabetes from a poor diet. I've never died in a car wreck or been shot. But yet these things still happen despite them never happening to me. Funny that lol..
I did hear before about someone eating raw eggs and nothing bad happened so it can be safe but I still won't be trying it. For me eggs are best when they are cooked and I like them fried, scrambled, and boiled. Egg salad sandwiches are my absolute favorite. To me it just seems gross to eat an egg raw but that is my opinion on this topic.
Some people can stomach them, but as I have a delicate digestive system I wouldn't risk it. I always make sure when my eggs are cooked, they are done properly. Even if a fried egg isn't cooked properly I am uneasy eating them or if scrambled eggs are still runny.
Yup. That's true. And there is a risk factor involved, which is why many people suggest being careful where you source the eggs and how they're handled. I'm fond of things that contain raw egg so the risk isn't something I spend a whole lot of time dwelling on. Of course, I also have jumped out of perfectly good airplanes, go rock climbing, take kayaks into areas with tricky currents, and go hiking in places that I might encounter poisonous snakes or alligators. I manage things to reduce risk but I don't worry too much about it beyond that. I'd rather just enjoy things. I think that's very much a personality type thing though with no right or wrong answer.
No, I totally agree. Don't read me wrong over eggs, I enjoy "things" very much lol. My problem is with people choosing to ignore it because they don't want to believe it or because they aren't sick. Well, not really a problem, this is just giving me something to respond to when there's nothing else worth responding too lol. It's fine if you want to add it to your risks.. but it's only the right decision if it's an informed decision. Just my opinion of course. When I ate eggs, I wasn't worrying myself about it at all.. good source of eggs, outer membrane in tact, the animals lived cleanly.. good to go. Though never raw lol, ew. Nobody should make decisions for themselves with blinders on and it seems it happens most over food. It's only frustrating because day in and day out, I watch people ignore their health for taste.. and one by one they end up with avoidable life changing issues. It just makes me sad, that's all.
There are so many opinions in this. My brother eats them raw. He says there's nothing wrong with it and he can stomach it without worry. I don't really worry about the health benefits. I just really can't stomach it. Honestly it's something I can't stand.
Those are good points as well. I have a few people in my life that go very far in the opposite direction. They are so afraid of anything they perceive as a 'risk' even if it's tiny that they don't do ANYTHING. They are miserable. Some of them have gotten that way progressively. My sister, for instance, no longer eats steak. Why? As a teen, she loved steak, eating it just the way I do, which is rare to medium rare. Then she started to be afraid of things not cooked the whole way because of a documentary she watched. So she started eating them medium, then well, then pretty much charred. She doesn't like them that way but is afraid to eat them any other way so she doesn't eat steak any more. She has seen news about people getting sick from grocery store greens contaminated with salmonella so she no longer eats ANY veggies that do not come from cans. She no longer hikes and won't let her middle daughter go with her girl scout troop into the woods because their might be snakes. She doesn't let any of her children (including the oldest who is 14!) ride in cars with drivers other than her or her husband for any reason. Those things are all up to her. Not my business, not my problem. BUT I watch her and other people I care about skip things because of fears that they'll fall into the tiny percentage of people hurt by those things and I feel really sad for them. I go pretty far (admittedly, maybe too far) in the opposite direction from that. I would rather have the risks than feel like I'm living in bubble wrap. I would be miserable living like that, always afraid of even the smallest risk.
Well that's a definite issue! lol. I see that a lot as well. We've been so blinded for so long, that when these things "come out" true or not, people get very scared. But I don't see taking care of your health as living in a bubble. I consider it more living in a bubble once you're sick because of your choices. And it's just one aspect of life.. if junk food is someone's only enjoyment, then ok, I suppose lol. But you can still enjoy the crap out of life while taking care of your health so you can ALWAYS enjoy life. But obviously, to each their own.
