How to pasteurize eggs in a sous vide machine (in the shell)

I have a Sous Vide Supreme machine and I like raw eggs (in the shell). I've made a few batches by simply boiling them at 134F for 2-4 hours, but I have 2 problems: some of the eggs crack and most of the eggs begin to coagulate. Are there better ways to do it? There are commercially available Davidson's brand pasteurized eggs, but after checking 5 stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn where they were supposed to be stocked and weren't I've given up.

Best Answer

The definitive source for Sous Vide information on the web at the moment is Douglas Baldwin's wonderful A Practical Guide to Sous Vide. It has wonderful safety information and goes well beyond the 'recipe' side of Sous Vide. It's pretty much the bible (since Modernist Cuisine is too expensive).

Based on the information he has on pasteurizing eggs, I would suggest trying a shorter period of time. He says that 75 minutes at 135F will be sufficient. If you read through his stuff, you'll see that he doesn't play fast and loose with safety / times, so I would trust that time / temp. That's significantly shorter period than you are doing them. Hopefully that's your issue.

I'm not sure how much your white is coagulating, but this is what he has to say about it:

While the properties of the egg yolk are unaffected, the egg white is milky compared to a raw egg. Whipping time is significantly longer for pasteurized eggs, but the final whip volume is nearly the same

Update: There was a culinary research paper released in January that I think resolves this issue (or see this blog post for a more accessible overview). It turns out that the protein coagulation in eggs is a function of temperature and time, rather than just temperature as was commonly assumed. So leaving your egg in to pasteurize for longer than the minimum required time will affect the texture. So use the minimum time of 75 minutes and you should see a significant difference.

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Quick Answer about "How to pasteurize eggs in a sous vide machine (in the shell)"

Set your Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 135.0ºF / 57.2ºC.

Mark the eggs to be pasteurized with a P or some other moniker with a water proof marker.

Gently drop the eggs, in their shells (not vacuum sealed), into the bath to cook for 1 hour 15 minutes.

How do you pasteurize an egg in the shell with sous vide?

For this method, you will need a sous vide kit, a pot with water (to warm up the egg in), and a bowl with ice water. Set the sous vide temperature to 135\xbaF/57\xbaC and allow the water to warm up. Then place the eggs in the pot (using a slotted spoon or inside a plastic bag) and allow them to pasteurize for 75 minutes.

Can you pasteurize in a sous vide?

Sous-vide is an ideal way to pasteurize meat, fish and vegetables. By first vacuuming the food and then cooking it at a certain temperature, you can ensure that micro-organisms, such as bacteria and parasites, are rendered harmless.

How do you pasteurize egg white sous vide?

To pasteurize eggs using a Sous Vide, set the temperature to 135\xbaF and allow them to pasteurize for 75 minutes. This lower temperature keeps the protein of the egg white more intact and the longer pasteurization time further reduces the risk of pathogens.

How do you pasteurize an egg immersion circulator?

Instructions

Set up the immersion circulator. Fill the pot with water and preheat the immersion circulator to 135\xbaF (57\xbaC).

Gently submerge the shelled eggs (no need to vacuum seal) into the water. Cook for 75-80 minutes.

Remove the eggs and quickly place them in an ice water for 30 minutes to stop further cooking.

How To Pasteurize Eggs Sous Vide Simple Easy

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