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Buffet Eggs turning Blue

post #1 of 16
5/13/05 at 8:17am
Thread Starter 
We're doing a breakfast buffet that lasts four hours every day. We started using liquid eggs and scrambling them and had no problem with egg coloration. We've recently changed to cracking shell eggs ourselves (less than half the cost, even including the labor). We've added quite a bit of fresh-squeezed lemon juice to the mix and this reduces the coloration problem, but doesn't eliminate it.

Anyone dealt with this and have a solution?

Thanks in advance - LS
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post #2 of 16
5/13/05 at 9:00am
Add cottage cheese to your egg mix before scrambling.
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post #3 of 16
5/13/05 at 10:08am
If the eggs are cooked at a high temperature or overcooked, they have a higher chance of turning green. Try to avoid using direct heat while holding the eggs. Put a pan of hot water between the heat source and the eggs. If possible, try to use shorter batches. I've also heard of Cream of Tartar for this type of thing, but you may want to look into it.

You are using stainless steel, right?
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post #4 of 16
5/13/05 at 10:18am
Cream of Tartar is on the right track ... it's acid you want and the easiest is lemon juice!
The first time I worked for a large resorts catering department, I didn't know this either. Green eggs for #150 anyone?!
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post #5 of 16
5/13/05 at 2:15pm
ONLY WITH GREEN HAM!
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post #6 of 16
5/14/05 at 9:55am
Actually, adding a cold cream sauce the the beaten eggs, before cooking will prevent that problem.
If you use cracked eggs, try boiling in the bag. Believe it or not this works great. I was in shock.
britt
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post #7 of 16
5/14/05 at 10:25am
explain more :). I've regularly had to scramble 3-4 cases(2x20lb) at a time. that sounds interesting.
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post #8 of 16
5/15/05 at 7:38am
If you are talking about the boil in the bag method. He got the steam kettle up to speed. and put the bags in. I only saw this done 1 time, he did regularly and had his timming down.
When they were cooked he emptied them ino a hotel pan and fluffed them with a fork. Covered w/platic and foil. They went straight into the hot cart.
This was for an off property buffet. The eggs were cooked just before we left.
From cook time to break down was a bout 41/2 hours. They didn't dry out or change color one bit.
As I said I was shocked. He need a guy to help prep this banquet 4 for 600. I only worked with him once. While he did it, I thought to my self, "What a shoemaker". He had done it before and it worked.
Amazing.
this is the honest truth.
britt
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post #9 of 16
5/18/05 at 6:07am
Thread Starter 

Cream of Tartar or Lemons?

Thanks for the responses, folks. We don't have a steamer so I don't think there's an option to try the boil-in-the-bag method, though I've heard from others that this is good.

I've also heard about lemon juice, and currently we squeeze a lemon into about 8 qts of fresh cracked eggs. This isn't doing enough , so.... do we need more lemon? Will bottled lemon juice work?

And what about this cream of tartar idea? I assume you're talking about the powder, if not please correct me. But how much to use for how many eggs?

Interestingly, we prepare two kinds of scrambled for the buffet - plain and "a la mexicana" that are prepared with bell peppers, onions, and tomato. The "mexicanas" never have the blue-green problem. If only I could find the right additive to keep the plains free of coloration!

Thanks - LS
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post #10 of 16
5/18/05 at 7:15am
Well, the answer there is infront of you :) The tomato is the acid source! And the cream of tartar is a white powder.
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post #11 of 16
5/18/05 at 8:22am
if you are cooking for large quantity try using a steamer, cook til they are just a little under done and fold in some sour cream. this will prevent discoloration as well as keep your eggs moist for up to an hour
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post #12 of 16
5/21/05 at 8:43am
Thread Starter 

CREAM OF TARTAR WORKS! Thanks folks!

Yep, the cream of tartar does the trick - no more blue-green moon eggs. 2 tsp per 30 eggs (that's what fits in the 1/2 gal blender) does the trick.

Thanks for the help, you solved a real problem for us. We appreciate it!

- LS
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post #13 of 16
5/22/05 at 5:20pm
thank YOU so much...we love to see how these stories end and what works!!
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post #14 of 16
5/24/05 at 10:02am
None of you must have ever been a banquet chef!! Eggs turn this color as a result of being either overcooked or being held at to high of temperature. The easiest way to prevent this from happenig is placing your cooked eggs in a plastic insert for a chafer or steamtable. The plastic will absorb most of the direct heat from the steam, but the eggs get enough to stay hot. Don't add cream of tartar for acidity, just use some lemon juice. Also, someone posted about adding sour cream to the eggs, if you do that you just lost the savings of using fresh eggs instead of easy eggs.
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post #15 of 16
5/27/05 at 6:19am
Thread Starter 

Plastic Pans in the Chafers and Lemon Juice

Hi Zor... we have the plastic pans in the chafers, and we've been experimenting with ever-increasing amounts of lemon juice from day one, all to no avail - the eggs still turned blue. The cream of tartar - two teaspoons per flat of eggs - solves the problem one hundred percent, with no funny taste or other side effects that we've noticed yet. We do a buffet for between 60 and 180 hotel guests seven days a week, so we're happy to have found this solution, thanks to this forum.
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post #16 of 16
6/2/05 at 3:46am

egg discoloration

I always used heavy cream in the eggs and they never turn color, old trick i learned ??? i dunno where, it works

ciao
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