284676 Wed Apr 19 19:45:24 -0700 2006 19 31 Home Cooking 0 1522466 For Easter I made the Barefoot contessa's frozen key lime pie which contains 6 egg yokes. It was only after it was consumed and enjoyed by all of us that I remembered my avoidance of foods that contain raw egg. I guess I was so eager to make the darned thing that I totally blocked out the danger of salmanella. Since there have been so many discussions about food safety, I'd like to know how you feel about such recipes. I've stopped making a fabulous mousse-like, no bake Coffee Toffee Pie because of a refrigerated layer containing raw eggs. We ate it for years and no one ever got ill, but I took it off the menu anyway. Your thoughts please on no bake items with egg as an ingredient. Thanks Wed Apr 19 19:45:24 -0700 2006 0 tweetie 1 1522467 I've made desserts and salad dressings w/raw eggs for years and have also consumed a TON of raw cookie and cake batter in my time, and have never, ever, had an issue. Perhaps I'm too blase about it, but I let my toddler lick the spoons/beaters when we bake as well. Wed Apr 19 20:05:00 -0700 2006 1522466 0 gansu girl 2 1522474 I couldn't agree more. My wife wouldn't make a homemade Caeser salad dressing without a raw egg and we've eaten far more than I can count. Same thing with cookie dough and cake batter. If you buy fresh eggs from a reputable place there should be no problem. My wife won't even coddle eggs for her dressing and that's just fine with me. Wed Apr 19 20:49:58 -0700 2006 1522467 0 Monty 3 1522485 and, since the bacteria is on the shells, simply wipe the eggs off with a damp cloth before cracking. Wed Apr 19 22:08:41 -0700 2006 1522474 0 lynn 4 1522491 The outside of the eggs can be contaminated, but the bacteria is also passed from an infected hen to her eggs before the shell is even formed. That's why a source of eggs from well-cared for birds is important. Wed Apr 19 22:30:49 -0700 2006 1522485 0 Pat Hammond 3 1522486 Agreed...buy from a reputable source, and you won't have a problem. They are saying more and more that most salmanella issues arise in commercial kitchens, where large amounts of eggs are handled, often mishandled, and where one egg that hangs around too long can spoil the lot. I have never and have never know anyone dirrectly that has had a problem. Wed Apr 19 22:10:02 -0700 2006 1522474 0 Aaron 1 1522471 I can't be bothered thinking about that sort of thing unless I am cooking for someone terribly ill or whose immune system is compromised. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff. Wed Apr 19 20:18:14 -0700 2006 1522466 0 Candy 1 1522477 I respect the provenance of my eggs and don't worry about it. If I do have a dish with uncooked eggs I let guests know- people have a right to decide for themselves. Wed Apr 19 21:27:18 -0700 2006 1522466 0 JudiAU 1 1522482 A friend of mine worked out that statistically she's more likely to be hit by a car crossing the road to the supermarket than she is of getting salmonella from the eggs she's buying there. I look both ways before I cross the road, and I buy good quality eggs from responsible shops. I don't stay up at night worrying about either. Wed Apr 19 21:59:49 -0700 2006 1522466 0 Gooseberry 1 1522483 i've always figured that because of the acid from the limes, the eggs were probably "cooked" through (kind of like how ceviche works). same thing applies for the vinegar or citrus in salad dressings. to be extra-safe, you could put the pie in the oven for 10 min. just to be sure all the potential salmonella is killed. Wed Apr 19 22:00:57 -0700 2006 1522466 0 rebs 2 1522518 I don't believe the acid from the limes is not enough to kill the bacteria and salmonella needs high heat to be destroyed. That being said, I'm in agreement with all the other posters -- practice good shopping and good hygiene in the kitchen and don't worry about it. Our bodies are pretty remarkable machines and can withstand a LOT. The more we try and protect it from "germs", the weaker we are making it in the the long run. Thu Apr 20 08:25:08 -0700 2006 1522483 0 TorontoJo 1 1522484 As a formerly seriously food-phobic person who is also lactose intolerant and had a bad appendix for several years (all of which made me sick on a regular basis) I am here to tell you that I have consumed more raw eggs than you can shake the proverbial stick at and I've never become sick. Heck, twice in the last month I've made my own walnut mayonnaise and enjoyed it immensely. As Candy said, unless someone has a compromised immune system, the odds of raw eggs making someone sick are mighty slim. Eat and enjoy! Wed Apr 19 22:07:37 -0700 2006 1522466 0 jillp 1 1522492 Don't sweat it. Like other posters have said, buy from a reputable source and don't worry unless you have a compromised immune system. I tend to go organic, vegetarian fed, cage free. Being Japanese, we eat a dish where we take cooked slices of meat and vegetables and dunk it in a raw scrambled egg. We even have a dish, which I grew up on, that consisted of a scrambled raw egg and soy sauce poured over some rice. None of us ever has gotten sick. Wed Apr 19 22:39:01 -0700 2006 1522466 0 D'lish 1 1522507 This is really timely because I'm going to make Chocolate Mousse (part of a trifle) in 2 weeks to take to a dinner party. The recipe I've always used calls for raw eggs, and I didn't want to try a new recipe. Thanks for all the reassurance. Thu Apr 20 00:36:36 -0700 2006 1522466 0 reallyrednails 1 1522510 I had a very quick and dreadful bout with salmonella some years ago (semi-cooked duck eggs of undetermined age - NOT clever), and spent about half a day alternating between being afraid I was gonna die and wishing I would...but I'd rather do that once or twice again than give up my creamy scrambled eggs and my homemade mayonnaise. Thu Apr 20 00:59:45 -0700 2006 1522466 0 Will Owen 2 1522516 i have to laugh at your description of food poisoning. i've had it twice, and "half being afraid i would die and half wishing i would" is the same exact way i've described it. so true. Thu Apr 20 04:29:33 -0700 2006 1522510 0 hobokeg 1 1522511 To the best of my knowledge they have NEVER found an uncracked egg in the USA that contained salmonella. Of course they aren't looking--don't want to upset the egg producers or hurt business. I cook cracked eggs. But on my happy days I have had very runny yolks for breakfast. On the other hand I eat no commercial beef other than Neiman or 100% grass fed. Thu Apr 20 01:31:45 -0700 2006 1522466 0 Curmudgeon 1 1522519 Just don't forget to refrigerate leftovers! Also endorse using fresh, uncracked, washed eggs. Thu Apr 20 08:32:32 -0700 2006 1522466 0 Tatania 1 1522539 The most-often quoted statistic regarding the incidence of salmonella in eggs is 1 per 20,000. I'll save my worrying for the many, many other things in everyday life that have a much higher probability of injuring me. Thu Apr 20 11:01:54 -0700 2006 1522466 0 FlyFish 1 1522637 Thanks so much to all of you who voted unanimously in favor of the egg au natural! Coffee Toffee Pie is going back on the menu tonight! Thu Apr 20 17:05:58 -0700 2006 1522466 0 tweetie