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The truth about eggs

The truth about eggs

2022-03-24

From nutrition value to everyday advice, this article aims to put all your eggy questions in one basket and answer them accordingly.

Welcome to our collection of key facts and dispelled fictions, mouthwatering recipes and all-round top tips on the subject of eggs!

From nutrition value to everyday advice, this article aims to put all your eggy questions in one basket and answer them accordingly. Don’t worry, we’re not trying to teach grandma how to suck eggs, you are no doubt experts already, but hopefully we can clear up some myths and share some fun facts along the way.

Oh, and if you came here expecting (eggs-pecting?) a plateful of egg-related wordplay, then we promise not to disappoint. Throughout this article, the La Española team has hidden some classic jokes among the yokes that we hope will crack you up! Can you spot them all?

Top tips for Eggs

Let’s start by dipping into some eggs-pert advice inspired by you guys, our community, from conversations we’ve had over the years on Facebook and Instagram!

Always store eggs at a consistent and cool temperature (below 20°C) to keep them fresh. In most kitchens, the fridge is the best choice. It’s said that eggs age more in one day at room temperature than they do in a whole week in the fridge!

That said, it’s best to take eggs out of the fridge around 30 mins before cooking. This is especially true for baking where you should ensure your eggs are kept at room temperature when you’re using them to bake cakes. This helps prevent the mixture from splitting, which can result in a heavier cake rather than something spongy, light and silky smooth!

Similarly, you can replace your butter for olive oil to help achieve an even, velvety mix. La Española Light In Colour olive oil is ideal for this, thanks to a delicate flavour profile, resistance to higher temperatures used in baking, and overall health-boosting benefits!

Did you forget to warm your eggs?

If you forget to remove your eggs from the fridge in advance, or simply don’t have time, then all is not lost. You can bring fridge-cold eggs to room temperature quite quickly by submerging in a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Don’t use hot water though, you may end up with boiled eggs!

What about the eggs that float a little, are there any ways we can use your older eggs? Yes, actually! Slightly older eggs are better for making meringues. They’re also easier to separate in a mixture, and when hard-boiled older eggs take less effort to peel.

How fresh is your egg?

If you’re unsure how fresh an egg is, you can place it in a glass of water. A fresh egg will sink to the bottom and stay there. The older an egg is, the higher it will float.

Aprils Fools Day on the horizon? We have an eggy prank for you. It’s possible to pretend that an egg is bad by adding salt to the water when conducting the float test. Even the freshest egg will float in saltwater, just like the Dead Sea!

Are eggs healthy?

The truth: Eggs are one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.

Nobody can egg-nore the rich list of vitamins available from a single egg, and in quantities that other foods find it hard to match. Just one large boiled chicken egg contains Vitamin A (approximately 6% of the RDA), Folate (5%), Vitamin B5 (7%) Vitamin B12 (9%), Vitamin B2 (15%), Phosphorus (9%) and Selenium (a massive 22% of the RDA). And we’re not done yet! Eggs also provide decent amounts of vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium and zinc.

How eggs-actly can these help our health?

Iron carries oxygen to your cells and helps to prevent against anemia. Vitamin A contributes to healthy eyes and skin while Vitamin D strengthens bones and teeth. Vitamin E and Selenium are powerful antioxidants, valuable in disease prevention and stop the breakdown of body tissues, and Folate helps produce and maintain new cells. Not to mention the brain-boosting chemical Choline, which is important in the nervous system and for the development of normal brain functioning.

But eggs are so high in cholesterol, right?

Keep cholesterol in check by monitoring saturated fat in your diet.

It is true that eggs are high in cholesterol. The average egg contains around 212mg, which is over half of the recommended daily intake of 300mg. However, that doesn't make all eggs bad, and it’s important to acknowledge that more cholesterol in your diet doesn’t necessarily result in more cholesterol in your bloodstream. Eggs are also very low in saturated fat which is what we are now told has a greater impact on our cardiovascular health.

Guidance from the NHS says that “although eggs contain some cholesterol, the amount of saturated fat we eat has more of an effect on the amount of cholesterol in our blood than the cholesterol we get from eating eggs.”

As olive oil experts, our teams talks a lot about the many types of fat and the impact on our bodies. There are good fats, just like there is good cholesterol, which we should be consuming. Then there are bad fats - trans fats and saturated fats, such as butter - which we should aim to moderate and reduce in our diets as part of a healthy lifestyle.

If fitness is one of your resolutions for 2022, this article will give you the keys to achieve them, with one not-so-secret ingredient everyone should know…

4 Spanish recipes with Eggs

As well as being healthy, eggs are incredibly versatile ingredients, forming the basis of many mouthwatering meals. They are super easy to cook and delicious in a whole host of different dishes. You could go as far as saying they are hard to beat!

Spanish Omelette

We couldn’t write a post about eggs and not mention the mighty Spanish Tortilla! It’s our National dish and a must-try tapa for anyone visiting Spain.

Our recommended omelette recipe here has something a little different for those who like to live a little more luxuriously…a splash of La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil Flavoured with White Truffle!

Get the recipe → Truffle Tortilla

Huevos rotos con jamón

Anyone who has visited Madrid will be hard-pressed to overlook one of its most iconic tapas: huevos rotos con jamón. A truly humble mix of ingredients come together in a truly eggs-ellent flavour - satisfaction guaranteed!

Watch the video → Huevos rotos con jamón

Veg and Manchego Tart

We’ve got this penned as one of our go-to summer dishes. Light and luscious, hot or cold - this would be a most welcome meal-prep solution when you get home after a long day and are too eggs-hausted to cook from scratch!

Get the recipe → Veg and Manchego Tart

Truffle aioli

Wondering what to do with that lone egg before it goes off? We’ve hatched a plan to help you decide - it’s time to make your own mayo! It’s already proven to be one of the most popular dips on our guide to dips and dressings, if you haven’t tried it yet then get crackin’!

Get the recipe → Truffle aioli