How to Make Raw Eggs Safe to Eat: Make Salmonella Free Eggs at Home

Have you saved tons of recipes that use raw eggs but are concerned about the risk of salmonella? This recipe teaches you how to safely pasteurize eggs at home, ensuring they’re Salmonella-free and safe for raw dishes.

By gently heating eggs in water at 57°C (135°F) for 75 minutes, you can safely use them in raw recipes.

This method ensures your eggs are Salmonella-free. You can confidently enjoy dishes like homemade mayo, soy sauce-cured egg yolks, or Japanese raw egg rice.

Introduction

Is it safe to eat raw eggs?

Raw eggs are a common ingredient in many recipes, but they come with a potential risk: Salmonella.

This bacteria can cause food poisoning, leading to symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea, and fever. The risk is particularly concerning for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

According to the CDC, about 1 in 20,000 eggs in the United States, and about 1 in 35,000 eggs in Japan, are contaminated with salmonella.

While the chances of encountering Salmonella in an egg are relatively low, it’s still important to take precautions when using raw eggs in dishes like homemade mayonnaise, tiramisu, or salad dressings.

Pasture Raised vs Pasteurized

In the U.S., it’s common to see eggs labeled as “pasture-raised,” but it’s rare to find ones labeled as “pasteurized.” So, are pasture-raised eggs pasteurized?

No, pasture-raised eggs are not automatically pasteurized.

The term “pasture-raised” refers to how the hens are raised, meaning they are allowed to roam freely outdoors, typically in a natural environment where they can forage for food.

While pasture-raised eggs can have higher nutritional value and are often considered more humane, they still carry the same risk of bacterial contamination, such as Salmonella, as conventionally raised eggs.

For eggs to be pasteurized, they must go through a separate process of gentle heating to a specific temperature for a set time to kill harmful bacteria.

If you want to consume eggs safely raw or undercooked, you would need to either pasteurize them at home or purchase eggs that are specifically labeled as “pasteurized.” These pasteurized eggs have gone through the heating process, regardless of whether they are pasture-raised or not.

Make Salmonella Free Eggs at Home

Pasteurizing refers to the process of gently heating a food or liquid to a specific temperature for a set period of time in order to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens, without significantly affecting the taste or nutritional value.

To pasteurize eggs, you typically heat them to around 57°C (135°F) for about 75 minutes. This process kills any potential bacteria, such as Salmonella, while keeping the egg raw in texture. This method makes raw eggs safer to consume in dishes like homemade mayonnaise or eggnog.

The Science Behind Pasteurization

How pasteurization works?

Pasteurization works by gently heating the egg to a specific temperature that is high enough to kill harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, but not high enough to cook the egg.

For eggs, pasteurization typically occurs at around 57°C (135°F) for 75 minutes. At this temperature, the heat destroys harmful bacteria without cooking the egg.

According to the Egg Safety Center, egg whites begin to coagulate (or “set”) between 144°F and 149°F (about 62°C to 65°C). Since pasteurization occurs at a lower temperature, around 135°F, the egg white remains uncooked while still ensuring safety by eliminating bacteria.

Should i wash my eggs?

Generally, it’s not recommended to wash egg shells before using them in daily cooking, as doing so can remove the bloom, a natural protective coating on the eggs.

The bloom helps seal the pores of the eggshell, preventing bacteria and other contaminants from entering. Washing eggs can introduce moisture, which may promote bacterial growth, especially if you don’t use them immediately afterward.

However, when pasteurizing eggs at home, it’s a good idea to wash the egg shells before the process. This is because washing helps remove any dirt, debris, or potential contaminants that could be present on the outside of the shell.

Since pasteurization involves heating the eggs to a specific temperature to kill bacteria, removing the bloom beforehand ensures a clean surface for the pasteurization process.

Important: After pasteurizing, if you’re not using the salmonella free eggs right away, it’s crucial to wrap them securely with plastic food wrap to prevent exposure to contaminants in the refrigerator, as the eggs no longer have their natural protective bloom coating.

What You’ll Need:

Equipment

• A sous vide machine (or an electric double boiler with temperature control, or a pot with a thermometer for manual control.)

Materials

• 4 fresh, high-quality eggs
• 1 tiny drop of dish soap
• Water

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Wash the Eggs (Optional but Recommended)

1. Add a tiny drop of mild dish soap to your hands or a soft sponge. Gently scrub the eggshell to remove dirt or contaminants. Rinse very well under warm running water to remove all soap.

Tip: Many commercial eggs are already washed before packaging, so additional washing may not be necessary unless they look dirty. If your eggs are fresh from a farm, washing them before pasteurization is a good idea.

Pasteurize the Eggs

1. Fill a pot or sous vide container with enough water to fully submerge the eggs. Set the Sous Vide Machine temperature to 57°C (135°F). If your double boiler or kettle can only set temperature to 60°C (140°F), that will also work. If using a thermometer, heat the water on the stove and monitor closely to maintain this temperature between 57°C to 60°C.

2. Gently place whole eggs (in their shells) into the water. Make sure to fully submerge the eggs and keep them away from the heat source. If using a sous vide machine, ensure the eggs don’t touch the heating tube. For a kettle or stovetop boil, use a double boiler to prevent the eggs from directly touching the hot bottom of the pot or kettle. Direct contact with the heat can cause uneven heating and cause the egg whites to begin setting.

3. Keep the water temperature at 57°C (135°F) for 75 minutes.

4. Once 75 minutes have passed, immediately remove the eggs from the boiler. Now your eggs are Salmonella-free and safe to use in raw recipes.

How to Store Pasteurized Eggs:

1. If not using immediately after boiling, place the eggs in an ice water bath to cool them rapidly and stop further heating. Let them sit in the ice water for 5–10 minutes.

2. Once cooled, gently dry the eggs with kitchen paper. Wrap each egg individually in plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator immediately. Keep them in the coldest part of the fridge, typically near the back.

3. Consume pasteurized eggs within 3 days for optimal freshness and quality.

Note: egg shells have a natural protective coating called the bloom. This thin, waxy layer helps to seal the pores in the eggshell, preventing bacteria and other contaminants from entering. Since we washed off the bloom before pasteurizing, we should wrap our homemade pasteurized eggs in plastic wrap before storing them in the fridge. This protects them from bacteria until we’re ready to use them.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Not Maintaining the Correct Water Temperature

The hardest part of pasteurizing eggs at home is maintaining a consistent water temperature.

If the temperature drops below 57°C (135°F), the eggs may not pasteurize properly, making them vulnerable to bacteria like Salmonella.

On the other hand, if the water temperature rises too high (above 60°C/140°F), the eggs could begin to set.

To avoid this, it’s essential to use a reliable thermometer or a temperature-controlled device, such as a sous vide machine or an electric double boiler, to ensure the water stays within the correct range throughout the process.

If you’re monitoring the water temperature manually with a thermometer, it’s important to have a bowl of cold water on hand. Keep the water temperature between 57°C (135°F) and 60°C (140°F). If the temperature rises above 60°C, quickly add a small amount of cold water to bring it back down to 57°C. Using a larger pot can also help maintain a stable temperature for a longer period, making it easier to control the heat.

2. Direct Contact with Heat Sources

Another important tip is to avoid letting the eggs come into direct contact with hot surfaces, such as the heating tube of the sous vide machine or the bottom of the kettle or pot.

Direct contact with these surfaces can cause uneven heating, which may result in some parts of the egg cooking while others remain raw.

To prevent this, ensure your sous vide machine’s container is large enough so the heating tube doesn’t directly touch the eggs. Or use a double boiler or fully submerge the eggs in water to prevent direct contact with the heat source. This will help maintain an even temperature and ensure proper pasteurization.

3. Using Eggs with Cracks or Damage Before Pasteurization

Using cracked or damaged eggs before pasteurization increases the risk of contamination. Cracks in the eggshell allow bacteria to enter, and pasteurization may not effectively eliminate pathogens if the shell is compromised. Discard any cracked or damaged eggs and choose intact ones to ensure safety and the best results.

Recipes to Use salmonella free eggs

I have many recipes using pasteurized raw eggs on my Instagram, like soy sauce cured eggs, natto raw egg rice, salmon rice bow.

My other egg recipes you will also like: