{"id":74720,"date":"2026-03-17T07:29:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T13:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=74720"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:13:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T17:13:49","slug":"different-types-of-eggs-plus-egg-congee-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/different-types-of-eggs-plus-egg-congee-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Cage-free,’ ‘Free-range,’ organic or pasture-raised? Which types of eggs are best?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"One
One of several possible garnishes for congee, the Asian rice porridge, is an egg cooked for precisely 8 minutes so that its yolk still slightly runs. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For those cooking and eating eggs, those incredibly perfect packets of protein, the many sorts of eggs available at market can be more than a bit bewildering. \u201cCage-free,\u201d \u201cFree-range,\u201d \u201cOrganic,\u201d \u201cPasture-raised\u201d \u2014 what are the differences, and do the differences matter?<\/p>\n

In short, the differences are significant and, yes, they do matter. For example, we picture a \u201ccage-free\u201d hen living outside, pecking at grubs on the ground.\u00a0The truth is<\/a>, she spends time outside of her cage only during the laying cycle, and that, on the dirt (not grassy) floor of an enormous shed, not\u00a0en plein air.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Colorado-based grocery group Natural Grocers estimates that 95% of all eggs from the approximately 300 million U.S. laying hens come from enclosed, battery-cage operations where hens never leave their wired enclosures. So, even the restrictive \u201ccage-free\u201d is by far the exception rather than the rule.<\/p>\n

Also, \u201corganic\u201d merely means that the hens\u2019 diets, not their living environments, are \u201corganic.\u201d Their feed might contain organic mammalian and avian by-products, no less.<\/p>\n

Most of the declensions on eggs\u2019 naming have less to do with nutrition \u2014 even battery-caged eggs are nutritious \u2014 more with taste. The absolutely best-tasting eggs are those guaranteed by third parties, that state \u201cCertified Humane,\u201d for example, or \u201cAnimal Welfare Approved.\u201d They are also as rare as, well, hen\u2019s teeth.<\/p>\n

For cooking any egg, I\u2019ve learned at least one factor more important than any other, given a certain cooking method. Let me share with you what I\u2019ve learned to be most important for at least three egg-cooking ways.<\/p>\n

The secret to creamy \u2014 not dry \u2014 scrambled eggs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Always whisk the eggs to be scrambled at least 15 minutes before cooking, with 1\/4- to 1\/2-teaspoon of salt to taste. The salt breaks down the proteins in the whites and, consequently, when scrambled over heat, those proteins will not \u201cseize up\u201d and squeeze out the eggs\u2019 moisture, drying them out. The salt and the 15 minutes, in other words, help guarantee creamy scrambled eggs \u2014 what you want.<\/p>\n

The best way to cook hard boiled eggs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A thin membrane separates and protects the interior of the egg from its porous shell. This same membrane is the bane of all those who try to peel a hard-cooked egg, even one merely \u201cfirm-cooked,\u201d such as the 8-minute egg in the recipe below.

For more good egg recipes and tips, check out this story<\/a>. <\/div>\n

Knowing about and how to deal with the membrane can help peeling immeasurably. Shock the egg to be hard-cooked in its boiling water immediately after taking the egg from the refrigerator. That is, cook cold eggs. When the cooking time ends, plunge the egg into an ice water bath. That is, make the egg cold again very quickly.<\/p>\n

This method helps keep the membrane looser, less \u201cclingy\u201d than it otherwise would be and makes for easier peeling.<\/p>\n

Getting a ‘pretty’ poached egg every time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are two sorts of whites in an egg, especially noticeable in the freshest eggs: a firmer, thicker white that immediately surrounds the yolk in, essentially, an oval shape, and a runnier, far less firm white surrounding those both.<\/p>\n

Let the runny egg white slip through the fingers of your palm (or the slots of a spoon) after cracking open the egg, and poach only the firmer white and the yolk in barely simmering water. This makes for a very pretty, less \u201craggy\u201d poached egg. (Read here for more poaching tips.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

About cracking an egg, do so on a firm, flat surface such as a countertop, not the edge of a bowl or skillet. Doing so lessens the chance of a piece of shell entering the mass of cracked egg or eggs. If a piece of shell does fall into the bowl or pan, use a large piece of shell to scoop it out. Shell attracts shell; you know how a fingertip does not!<\/p>\n

Congee, an Asican rice porridge, with an 8-minute egg<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I learned about congee, the Asian rice porridge, in the bitter heart of a Chicago winter. Plus, I had a cold; I was as congested as that same city\u2019s freeways.<\/p>\n

A friend took me to Chicago\u2019s Chinatown for a bowl of congee, swirled with searingly spicy chili oil. That congee opened the dampers\u2014and stoked the furnace.<\/p>\n

My evergreen recommendation against colds inside and out is congee. It is as simple as two-plus-two and has a millennia-rich history of working its magic on folk frozen or ill.

Other great tips and recipes<\/a> from Bill St. John.<\/div>\n

The word \u201ccongee\u201d is originally Tamil (kanji) and the dish goes by many names throughout southeast Asia and, as a result, may be known as such in restaurants hereabouts owned by cooks from these same places.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s called \u201cjuk\u201d or \u201cjook\u201d by the Cantonese and Koreans; \u201czhou\u201d in Mandarin; \u201ckhao tom\u201d by the Thai; and, of course, \u201ckanji\u201d at some Indian eateries that might offer it.<\/p>\n

The key to cooking congee is to use both regular as well as sticky rices, to leave them be atop the stove for a couple of hours so that their kernels very much break down, then to offer add-ins or toppings from a huge raft of possibilities, each dependent on its purpose at table: hot and spicy things to clear passageways and spark spirits; leftovers to use up foods asking for one last go-around; and green and other colorful and crunchy things for the way that they both lift flavor as well as sparkle eyes.<\/p>\n

Congee with 8-Minute Egg recipe<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Serve 4-6.

Also enjoy these other egg and Easter recipes from Bill St. John:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Vegetarian Mediterranean Easter<\/a><\/p>\n

Shakshuka Eggs<\/a><\/div>\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/h3>\n

4 large eggs, refrigerated (not room temperature)<\/p>\n

3\/4 cup jasmine or other white rice<\/p>\n

1\/2 cup glutinous, \u201csweet\u201d or \u201csushi\u201d rice<\/p>\n

8 cups water or thin chicken stock, or combination of both<\/p>\n

1 small to medium head Napa cabbage or Romaine lettuce, cored and outer leaves removed, and sliced as if into coleslaw, about 3 cups lightly packed<\/p>\n

2 teaspoons soy sauce<\/p>\n

1 teaspoon fish sauce<\/p>\n

1-2 teaspoons Kosher or other non-iodized salt, to taste<\/p>\n

Good pinch freshly ground white pepper<\/p>\n

1 2-inch knob ginger, peeled and sliced and cut into matchsticks<\/p>\n

Garnishes: scallions, thinly sliced; Sriracha sauce or other spicy chili sauces, crisps or oils; roasted peanuts, crushed; medium-firm tofu, cubed; leftover cooked shellfish, fish, pork or chicken, cubed or shredded<\/p>\n

Directions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Start the congee: Put both the rices into a large pot or bowl and rinse them in at least three changes of water, using your hands to slush them around, until the water runs mostly clear.<\/p>\n

Put the rice into a large pot and add the water or stock. Cover, bring to a boil and then lower the heat to low or medium-low, leaving the lid on a crack, and cook very slowly for 2 hours, stirring once in a while to keep the rice from adhering to the bottom of the pot. The cooked, broken-up rice should come to resemble a thick porridge.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, make the eggs: Gently lower the eggs into a pot of boiling water to cover them by 1 inch. Lower the heat to the barest simmer and cook for precisely 8 minutes. In the meantime, prepare an ice bath with a large bowlful of ice cubes and just enough water to allow the cubes to move. At the 8-minute mark, remove the eggs from the pot using a \u201cspider\u201d or slotted spoon and immediately place them in the ice bath. After a minute or 2, gently crack the shells with the back of a spoon, replacing the eggs in the ice bath so that a bit of water can seep in under the shells.<\/p>\n

When the eggs are way cold, peel them gently (under slowly running water if that helps), placing them in a bowl of tepid or room temperature water to hold.<\/p>\n

To serve, bring the congee back to a good bubbly boil, add the cabbage or lettuce, soy and fish sauces, salt and pepper, and the ginger matchsticks, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes.<\/p>\n

To serve, slice each egg in half longways with a very sharp, thin knife (such as a filet knife) and place 1-2 halves atop each bowl, yolk side up, along with any garnishes.<\/p>\n

Note: The congee also may be prepared in an electric pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot) in the same steps as the recipe indicates (that is, rinsing the rices, etc.). Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, with \u201cnatural release\u201d (about 20 additional minutes, covered and sealed).<\/p>\n

\n

Easter and The Egg<\/b><\/h2>\n

Easter is the Christian celebration of the resurrection from the dead of Jesus of Nazareth, three days after his crucifixion. Long, long ago, Easter came to be associated with eggs because, like Jesus, a chick emerges into life from its \u201ctomb\u201d of the shell, the egg already being, for pre-Christians, a symbol of regeneration come springtime.<\/p>\n

Dying or coloring eggs also became associated with Easter because Christians, fasting during the Lenten period ahead of Easter, were disallowed from eating eggs during Holy Week, the few days preceding Easter. Hens didn\u2019t know this and kept laying eggs, so \u201cHoly Week Eggs\u201d became even more special and often were decorated for eating on Easter and the days after.<\/p>\n

For example, Orthodox Christians painted or dyed eggs red, symbolic of the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. In time, chocolate or jellybean \u201ceggs\u201d were substituted for hen eggs, again as a relief of the Lenten strictures against eating sweets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bill St. John has written and taught about restaurants, food, cooking and wine for more than 40 years, locally for Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post and KCNC-TV Channel 4, nationally for Chicago Tribune Newspapers and Wine & Spirits magazine. The Denver native lives in his hometown. Contact Bill at\u00a0billstjohn@gmail.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For those cooking and eating eggs, those incredibly perfect packets of protein, the many sorts of eggs available at market can be more than a bit bewildering. \u201cCage-free,\u201d \u201cFree-range,\u201d \u201cOrganic,\u201d \u201cPasture-raised\u201d \u2014 what are the differences, and do the differences matter? In short, the differences are significant and, yes, they do matter. For example, we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2197,"featured_media":74719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4799,2366,4415],"class_list":["post-74720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-bill-st-john","tag-healthy-recipes","tag-recipes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe best eggs to buy for cooking: What labels like cage-free and organic really mean - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What are the differences in the types of eggs at the market? 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