Separating Eggs

The traditional method for separating eggs is to break the egg over a bowl, splitting the shell into halves, and then passing the contents of the egg from one half of the shell to the other half. This allows the white to fall into the bowl as the yolk is transferred back and forth between the shell halves.

It is best to use three bowls for this method: one to catch the white as the egg is being separated, one to store the separated whites, and one to store the separated yolks. As the egg is being passed between the shell halves, make sure the yolk does not break and spill into the bowl containing the white. Once all of the white has fallen into the bowl, the yolk can be placed into a different bowl to store the yolks. It is also important to transfer the white to a different bowl before separating the next egg. When separating several eggs, you don't want to risk dropping any yolk into the bowl of already separated whites. If this happens, it can be difficult to remove the portion of yolk from the bowl of whites. Since most recipes requiring beaten egg whites will be negatively affected by the presence of any yolk, you may have to start over and waste the egg whites that have already been separated.

One negative aspect of the traditional egg separating method is the possibility that the contents of the egg may become contaminated during the procedure. When the egg is passed back and forth between the shell halves, it may become contaminated if bacteria are present on the shell. Bacteria may be present on the shell even after it is sanitized and the shell may also become contaminated from other food sources that it may come in contact with.

Needle Method

A second method that may be used for separating the white and the yolk is to insert a needle into one end of the egg, creating a hole that can be enlarged by moving the needle in a circular direction. The egg white should drain through the hole, leaving the yolk behind. The egg shell can then be cracked open to remove the unbroken yolk.

While this method may be easy to do, it can take awhile for the egg white to drain from the shell. There is also a slight possibility that this method may transfer germs existing on the shell to the contents of the egg.

Funnel Method

A third method of separating the white and the yolk is the funnel method. Place a small funnel over a container and crack the egg over the funnel. Be careful not to break the yolk. The egg white should slide through the funnel opening into the container, leaving the yolk behind. The yolk and the whites are then transferred to other containers. Make sure that the funnel opening is small enough so that the yolk does not slide through yet large enough so that the whites can slide through easily. This method is more sanitary because the contents of the egg have very little contact with the outside of the shell.

Separator Tool Method

Perhaps the easiest and most sanitary egg separation method is with the use of an egg separating tool. It is basically a tray which is centered in a circular frame with slots around the perimeter. When the egg is broken over the separator, the yolk slides into the center tray while the white falls through the slots in the frame and into a container placed beneath the separator. The tools come in different styles, are usually constructed of plastic or metal, and are inexpensive.