Leaving Egg Whites Out

[Daniel]

Whats the longest possible amount of time I can safely leave egg whites sitting out.. Making macaroons and have had these suckers sitting for some time.. Over a week.. They dont smell bad, but I think i am going for a record here..

Edited October 26, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[K8memphis]

Well, after having eaten that Krispy Kreme bread pudding and apparently surviving you're probably fine to use the egg whites. However, mere mortals like myself would have tossed them after a handful of hours, at least after one whole night out. Daniel-buddy, you should toss 'em. Life is short enough. You did the KKBP--don't push it

[Patrick S]

As long as you are cooking with them, I don't think there is much of a risk of illness. Even if bacteria proliferate in the whites (which would probably be marked by changes in smell and color), they would be killed by the cooking.

[Becca Porter]

Every day eggs are at room temp is equal to 5 days in the refrigerator. Thats about all I can tell you.

Oh also, even though the bacteria is killed by the oven, the toxins the bacteria created do not die. I do not know much more than that. I have read it in various food safety discussions.

-Becca

[Daniel]

Hmm.. Patrick my girl seems to be going with you on this one.. Becca thats very interesting with the out of the fridge ratio.. I am really at a loss here.. I am just getting over an ear infection and am on several anti-biotics so I think I would be safe ..

Maybe I should give the doorman a macaroon and go check on him in a couple of hours.. What to do, what to do.. I think I am going to toss the whites and start over.. I could use a couple of days between desserts..

Ok... Management just decided we are going ahead with the recipe and yup, I am most likely the tester.. Will report or have someone report for me..

Daniel

[Mallet]

Although it won't help you now, I think I read somewhere that eggwhites freeze quite well.

[Patrick S]

Oh also, even though the bacteria is killed by the oven, the toxins the bacteria created do not die. I do not know much more than that. I have read it in various food safety discussions.

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Technically, toxins can't die because they aren't alive to begin with. Almost all bacterial toxins are proteins (that is, composed of a sequence of amino acids in a specific order and folded into a certain configuration), and protein toxins can be rendered inert by heat, since heat "denatures" them, and destroys their protein structure. It is correct however that not all bacterial toxins are equally thermolabile, and some could potentially require more heat they are going to recieve in the oven.

Egg whites do freeze just fine.

[Daniel]

Although it won't help you now, I think I read somewhere that eggwhites freeze quite well.

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The purpose of leaving the egg whites out was so they could evaporate a little and help my macaroons be more stiff.. I dont know if freezing them would help this process..

[alanamoana]

old wives' tale is that if you add fresh whites to whites sitting out, they don't go bad for some reason. this is what they do at payard patisserie. i'm not sure how long they stay out since they make hundreds of macaron at a time, but i don't think they worry about sanitation...that's the french way. i know they leave them out in a warm room (as kitchens are wont to be).

this doesn't mean that yours are good or bad but smell is certainly a good indicator.

[K8memphis]

The following is from The American Egg Board. I boldened part of it for ease in reading, cutting to the chase type of thing.

17. What is the best way to store raw eggs?

Continually keep raw shell eggs, broken-out eggs, egg mixtures, prepared egg dishes and other perishable foods refrigerated at 40° F or below when you’re not cooking or eating them. These foods should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, including the time you use to prepare and serve them. Allow no more than 30 minutes to 1 hour when it’s 85° F or hotter.

6. Are there any safety concerns when cooking for a crowd?

In addition to the need for you to observe all the previous safety points, quantity cooking presents special challenges. For a safe and successful function:

• Make sure that refrigeration facilities are adequate to keep the entire quantity of cold foods well chilled at all times, including any raw eggs or egg mixtures.

• Break eggs out of their shells on the day of the event. Break them only as you need to use them, rather than pooling (breaking eggs together in large quantities and mixing the yolk and whites). Immediately return any unused raw eggs, broken-out eggs or egg mixtures to the refrigerator. For convenience, consider purchasing pasteurized liquid egg products which can be poured out as needed.

• Discard eggs, egg mixtures or cooked egg dishes that have been out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours (30 minutes to 1 hour if the temperature is 85? F or higher).

Just fyi for you...

Daniel, stock up on activated charcoal

Edited October 27, 2005 by K8memphis (log)

[Patrick S]

Danial,

I've left egg whites out for up to 48 hours, used them in baked goods, and eaten the resulting products many times with no ill effects whatsoever, so I tend to doubt you'll be needing any activated charcoal. Unfortunately, many sources, such as K8's, don't distinguish between whole eggs -- which rapidly go bad at room temp-- and egg whites alone, which contain antibacterial enzymes like lysozyme, and which direct experience shows can be maintained at room temp for quite a while. I wouldn't try to store broken whole eggs at room temp for any length of time, but I've done this with whites many times, and never had any problem.

[Steven Blaski]

The following is from The American Egg Board. I boldened part of it for ease in reading, cutting to the chase type of thing.

Continually keep raw shell eggs, broken-out eggs, egg mixtures, prepared egg dishes and other perishable foods refrigerated at 40° F or below when you’re not cooking or eating them. These foods should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, including the time you use to prepare and serve them. Allow no more than 30 minutes to 1 hour when it’s 85° F or hotter.

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I would take this advice with a grain of salt. Most official pronouncements such as this are very conservative -- as much as to protect themselves as us, I imagine. Consider the official pork people's edicts on how high a temp you need to cook a piggy -- inedible by their standards.

Over in this French macaron thread lots and lots of people were leaving their egg whites out for days at a time. I left some egg whites out for 48 hours to make macarons and lived to tell.

[sanrensho]

I left some egg whites out for 48 hours to make macarons and lived to tell.

Another survivor here. I've left egg whites out for 48 hours with no issues. Seven plus days is kind of pushing the envelope, however.

[ellencho]

It's too bad, since you've probably already tossed your whites, but I've held them at room temp for six days for macaron making and nobody got sick, but that was over the summer and we had central air running all the time. If I do make macarons sometime in the near future, I'd probably leave them out 3-4 days tops.