Cracking and Separating Eggs

Crack eggs into a small bowl first, fish out bits of shell, separate yolks from whites and wash your hands after.

Eggs help hold bakes together and help them rise. Cracking one neatly takes practice, and a few messy eggs are part of learning.

You will learn

• How to crack an egg with fewer shell bits
• Two ways to separate a yolk from a white
• Why you wash up after raw egg

What you need

• Eggs
• Three small bowls
• A spoon
• Soap and water
• Your grown-up

Steps

1. Crack into a small bowlWash your hands first, and check every ingredient with your grown-up, since some people are allergic to eggs. Crack each egg into a small bowl, not straight into your batter. Then a bit of shell cannot spoil the whole mix.
2. Tap on a flat counterTap the middle of the egg firmly on the flat counter, not the bowl edge. This makes a cleaner crack with fewer tiny pieces. Put your thumbs in the crack and pull the shell apart over the bowl.
3. Fish out the shellScoop out any shell with a spoon or a bigger piece of eggshell. The shell's edge slides through the egg better than fingers do.
4. Separate with the shellThe yolk is the yellow middle, and the white is the clear part around it. Crack a new egg on the counter, then hold it upright over an empty bowl. Gently pull the shell into two halves so the yolk stays in the bottom half. Tip the yolk from half to half and let the white slide into the bowl.
5. Or use your handsWith clean hands, tip a cracked egg into your cupped fingers. Let the white slip through while the yolk stays put. Cold eggs separate more easily because the yolk is firmer.
6. Wash upRaw egg can carry germs, so wash your hands with soap right after and wipe the counter. No tasting raw egg, and no tasting the raw dough or batter.

Try it

• 
  Junior Bakers

  Vanilla Cupcakes

• 
  Junior Bakers

  Chocolate Chip Cookie

Check yourself