How to check the freshness of quail eggs

In recent decades, quail eggs are gaining popularity. This is due to the fact that this product contains many valuable components, minerals and even vitamins. In order for the body to get the most out of the eggs of this bird, it is important to eat them fresh. Keep in mind that a stale product can be dangerous to human health.

How to choose quail eggs for nutrition

To be sure of the high quality, complete safety and freshness of the purchased eggs, you should consider some selection criteria.

1. First of all, you need to remember that during the sale, the product should not be stored in a warm place, but in a refrigerator or in a cool, light-protected room at a temperature of 20 degrees. It is not recommended to buy quail eggs at the market in summer.
2. Also, the product should not be dirty, that is, it should be free of soil particles, fluff or straw.
3. A quality product should have a whole shell, because through cracks, including the smallest ones, dangerous microorganisms can get inside. And, of course, it should be taken into account that the shell of quail eggs is much thinner than its chicken counterpart. When buying this delicacy not from a private person, the expiration date printed on the package must be present.
4. Before buying, it is necessary to check the date of manufacture and shelf life, between these two indicators should not be more than two months. In this case, the product must be stored in the refrigerator.

Regardless of where the eggs of this bird were purchased, at home, a person should definitely check them again for freshness, if there was even the slightest doubt about the quality.

How to check the freshness of quail eggs

When determining the safety of this product, the main importance is its freshness. This is due to the fact that the egg white contains a high concentration of lysozyme, a substance that is a natural antibiotic of animal origin. The same component is present in the human body. It is responsible for preventing the penetration of bacteria. In a stale treat, lysozyme is destroyed, causing bacteria to actively multiply in both the yolk and the protein part. For this reason, an old quail egg can lead to the development of salmonellosis or other infection.

Checking the freshness of quail eggs at home is quite easy. To do this, you will need a glass of water. Then it is necessary to drop the egg into this container. If it sinks, it indicates the presence of a fresh product, but if it floats up - it means that the delicacy is old. This is explained by the fact that the structure of an old egg begins to dry out inside, as a result of which more air is formed in them.

You can also use a kitchen scale, weighing the eggs. Remember that the fresh product is much heavier than the old one. For example, if the weight is 10 g or more, such an egg is definitely fit to eat, but if this figure is lower, it is better to give it up. The weight of a stale egg is usually about 8 g.

Another way to test quail eggs is to examine the white and yolk. To do this, you need to break one of them on a plate and look closely at the contents in good light. Both parts of the egg should hold their shape. The border between the white and yolk in a fresh product is clear. The protein part should evenly cover the entire space around the yolk. If this boundary is erased and the egg spreads out on the plate, this indicates that it is no longer fit for consumption.

How to test the freshness of a hard-boiled egg

Boiled eggs are the most delicious and healthy. However, lovers of this delicacy should remember that its shelf life is not so long. To begin with, it should be noted that you can only store an egg if it is hard-boiled. It should also be taken into account that after cooking this product should be wrapped in paper to keep it from shocks and destruction of the shell.

Boiled quail eggs are quite acceptable to keep just at home at room temperature, but no more than 10 hours. As for storage in the refrigerator, here they can stay for a week, but provided that the original delicacy was fresh, and the shell is not damaged. If the outer shell is not intact, the shelf life is only 2-3 days.

So, a fresh boiled egg has a yolk of distinct yellow color. If there is a greenish rim around it, this only indicates that the product has been boiled for a long time or that there is a large amount of iron in the water. If red spots are found in the yellow part, then the blood vessels have been destroyed. At the same time you should not worry, because such properties of the cooked product are not dangerous to health.

Another indicator of freshness is the difficulty in cleaning the shell. Again, in this case, we are talking about the fact that the film has not had time to move away from the outer layer, and there is no air seeping in. An old egg is much easier to peel.

If when cleaning a boiled egg there is a smell of hydrogen sulfide or a darkening of the white part and a blackening of the yolk, it means that the raw material is not fresh. Also in some cases, during prolonged storage spontaneous explosion occurs.

Useful properties of quail eggs

Eggs are among the products that have the most valuable composition in terms of chemical substances contained in them. This product is widely used in the human diet. It can be consumed as a separate dish or added to various salads and snacks.

Nowadays, most often people consume chicken product, but the popularity of quail has also begun to grow. This is due to the fact that the composition of the latter was found to contain more useful substances.

Benefits

1. First of all, it should be noted that there are many antioxidant substances in the composition of this delicacy. These components protect the body from the negative effects of radionuclides, withdraw salts of heavy metals from it, clean the organs from toxins. In combination, this is the prevention of the development of serious diseases, including tumors.
2. Quail eggs are necessary to strengthen the body's defenses, especially in the off-season. Enriched with vitamins and minerals, the product promotes the synthesis of antibodies that protect cells from the negative effects of pathogens.
3. Nutritionists recommend regularly including this ingredient in the diet, as it leads to the cleansing of blood vessels from cholesterol plaques, hence strengthens the circulatory system. A beneficial effect of this raw material on the organs of the digestive tract has also been noted, namely the ability to restore damaged mucous membranes.
4. For the beautiful half of mankind, this delicacy is also useful. Since the quail egg contains tocopherol and retinol, which reinforce each other's action and are antioxidants, they are necessary for girls to preserve youth, improve the dermis and beauty of the hair.
5. If you need to get rid of excess weight it is important to eat right. The food in this case should be balanced with a moderate amount of fat. These requirements are met by the studied raw materials. Quail egg is able to satiate and at the same time to compensate the deficit of some substances, while the caloric value is only 15 units.
6. The product is also useful during pregnancy planning. Since quail eggs contain a lot of vitamins, in particular B-group vitamins, they ensure the correct intrauterine development of the unborn child. This helps to normalize the psycho-emotional state of women during this period.
7. Beneficial for pregnant women is also folic acid in the composition of raw materials. It is actively involved in the normal development of the fetus. If there is a lack of this substance, the baby can develop certain abnormalities.
8. The presence of iron in quail eggs is appreciated by those who suffer from anemia and low hemoglobin levels.
9. The product under study is recommended to include in the diet of the stronger sex. The fact is that it contains zinc, which is responsible for potency. Amino acids and proteins in combination with mineral elements are the prevention of sexual impotence, at the same time they increase the stamina of men during intercourse and ensure the synthesis of testosterone. Remarked as a beneficial effect of eggs on the cardiovascular system.
10. For children, quail eggs are also important. They have a positive effect on the child's mental activity, his bone and nervous system. This allows the child's body to form properly.
11. The product contains glycine, which provides relief from emotional exhaustion, that is, it removes compounds that lead to the appearance of irritability in a person.
12. If a child is too absent-minded, cannot concentrate on certain things, it is also necessary to include such a dish in his diet.

In addition, it is necessary to remember the presence of retinol, which is required for the health of the skin, nail plates and hair. Beta-carotene in the raw material contributes to the strengthening of vision, bones and calcium.

Harm

When consuming this product, special caution should be exercised by people with liver and kidney pathologies. Also vigilant should be those who suffer from diabetes, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol levels, cholelithiasis.

It should be noted that quail eggs contain protein, which can lead to allergic reactions. Therefore, if you are prone to allergies, you will have to give up such a delicacy.

Norms and rules for eating quail eggs

As for childhood, a small child can be given no more than 1/2 egg per day. From three years of age, children can be given 2 eggs a day. From 10 years of age, the amount of this treat can be increased to 3. Adults can eat 4 eggs a day.

It is recommended to eat at least one raw quail egg on an empty stomach. If you can not eat it raw, you can subject the product to heat treatment. The egg should not be boiled for more than 5 minutes. If it has been stored in the refrigerator, you should let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature. After that it should be rinsed in hot water. This is done in order to boil the fragile shell does not crack under the influence of high temperature.

Regarding the consumption of raw eggs, opinions are divided. Some believe that this product, like its chicken counterpart, can be a carrier of various diseases. However, it should be noted that the body temperature of quail is usually 40-42 degrees, which suggests that bacteria in eggs simply can not be.

Rules of storage of quail eggs

To get a safe food product, it is not enough to buy fresh raw material, it is also important to store it properly. Keep it in the refrigerator in a separate package and not on the same shelf with other eggs, fish, meat and dairy products.

In a cool place fresh raw material can be kept for a month, on the refrigerator shelf the product will last twice as long. In the presence of hard-boiled eggs with undamaged shell shelf life is 7 days. Outside the refrigerator, the product should be used as intended within 10-12 hours.

On farms that often lack refrigeration facilities, workers use an old, proven method, namely covering quail eggs with pig fat or sunflower oil, then placing them in cardboard boxes with holes made in advance. On the bottom of such a container should be laid paper, shavings or hay, and the eggs are placed so that they do not touch each other.

Another method is known, which can extend the shelf life up to one year. To do this, the raw material should be placed in a glass, ceramic or porcelain container, and then pour the caustic lime. Prepare the composition in a ratio of 1:5 with water. The solution should cover the eggs completely, with a margin of a few centimeters. Next, send the blank to the basement or other room, where the temperature ranges from +1 to +10 degrees.