Can You Make Raw Eggs Safer at Home? Sous Vide Pasteurization Explained

The United States is experiencing another wave of foodborne illness cases this summer, with salmonella outbreaks linked to several products, including eggs. The recall involves eggs from a single supplier, Midwest Poultry Services, sold under five brand names, including labels distributed by a major grocery chain, though so far it has only affected certain stores in one state.

Infectious disease specialists note that eggs remain the food most commonly associated with salmonella outbreaks. The bacteria can transfer to an eggshell from bird droppings or even originate inside the egg from an infected hen's ovaries. Government estimates suggest roughly one in every 20,000 eggs may be contaminated, which translates to millions of potentially risky eggs produced annually.

The Problem With Raw Eggs

Thorough cooking kills salmonella, but many recipes—from mayonnaise to eggnog—call for raw eggs. Store-bought liquid egg products are pasteurized, but these typically contain only egg whites, not yolks, making them unsuitable for recipes requiring raw yolk.

A Sous Vide Fix

Pasteurizing a whole egg requires holding it at a temperature between roughly 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period without actually cooking it. A sous vide immersion circulator, a device originally developed for laboratory use before being adopted by chefs for gently cooking meat and vegetables, can achieve this precise, steady temperature.

Microbiologists recommend keeping eggs in a water bath at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for about 90 minutes, not counting the time needed for the water to reach that temperature. Eggs should be refrigerated beforehand to keep any existing bacteria from multiplying. Experts caution that this method may not eliminate all salmonella, so people who are immunocompromised should consider fully cooking their eggs instead.

In practice, eggs treated this way remain nearly raw, with only slight cloudiness in the white. However, the heat denatures proteins in the egg white, meaning treated eggs won't whip or foam well, making them unsuitable for dishes like meringue or soufflé.