8 ms·

Drinking year-old eggnog to put science to the test (2014)

50 points by nielsbot 5y ago

asdffdsa 5y ago
Now that's how you write a title folks
jonahhorowitz 5y ago
I make Alton Brown's recipe every year. Aged eggnog is delicious. I'd never realized that aging it (at least 3 weeks) actually makes it safer. [0] - https://altonbrown.com/recipes/aged-eggnog/ https://altonbrown.com/recipes/aged-eggnog/
- lux 5y ago
  I made a double-sized batch of this a few weeks back for a holiday party this weekend and for the holidays. First time and can't wait to try!
- justusthane 5y ago
  I have two batches of this in my fridge right now!
  - ortusdux 5y ago
    Thanks to covid, I didn't have enough guests over to finish off last years batch. First time I've had some survive the holidays! Defiantly looking foreword to taste-testing 1 year old vs 1 month old batches this year.
- Mikeb85 5y ago
  Makes it safer if it's uncooked, but most eggnog is cooked (like crème anglaise or ice cream base).
  - nkozyra 5y ago
    Most (non-alcoholic) eggnog is pasteurized, I'd say it's a rarity to have 'cooked' eggs. When I make it, it's generally still really alcohol-laden in the mouth until ~ 3 weeks. The longest I've ever kept it is 6-8 weeks but I've heard good things about a year or longer
    - dsizzle 5y ago
      The difference between "cooking" and "pasteurizing" is only a few degrees: I've seen 138F for pasteurization while 142F starts to cook. I've never heard of eggnog with literally cooked eggs (chunks of egg and yolk? Yikes.). I would guess they meant "cook" in the loose sense of heat to kill bacteria (rather than cross-linking the proteins to create a solid)!
      - Mikeb85 5y ago
        There's literally an entire class of pastry creams involving egg yolks cooked into cream. With the proper technique it stays homogeneous. - Egg nog - Crème anglaise (and offshoots like Bavarian cream) - Crème pâtissière/pastry cream (plus offshoots like millefeuille cream) - Lemon curd - Ice cream base Anglaise, pastry cream and lemon curd also form the base for the majority of thickened cream preparations that end up in layered cakes and other pastries.
        dsizzle 5y ago
        Ah, so you stir it while heating or dilute it enough or something and that prevents coagulation?
        Mikeb85 5y ago
        You also cook it to a temperature that causes it to pasteurize, thicken but not scramble. Or add starch which prevents it from scrambling for the ones cooked to a higher temperature. You stir while cooking very slowly until it reaches a specific temperature.
deegles 5y ago
These articles come out of hibernation every year and remind me, but it's too late! This year I'm making a batch (without the dairy), labeling it, and leaving it for Christmas 2022.
- tpmx 5y ago
  Make a great christmas mustard from scratch using mustard seeds instead. That's what I randomly got enthusiastic about today. Seems pretty easy, and with a pretty wide range of ways of mixing your way to your perfect mustard. Not sure if "christmas mustard" is a thing in the US though. Perhaps not.
  - crookshanked 5y ago
    It should be... I love the concept of seasonal mustards. Care to share what recipe you landed on?
  - GravitasFailure 5y ago
    >Not sure if "christmas mustard" is a thing in the US though. Perhaps not. Sadly, no. Maybe in the more German-influenced areas like Pennsylvania, but it does seem like a tradition that needs to be more widespread.
marban 5y ago
Just had a sip from a bottle that was stored open at room temperature for 4+ years. Apparently I'm still alive.
- brewdad 5y ago
  RemindMe 24 hours. ;-)
cheese_goddess 5y ago
> Whether it’s three weeks old or three years old, aged eggnog is actually safer to drink than fresh eggnog made with raw eggs—as long as you put plenty of booze in it. (Not that raw eggs are all that dangerous in the first place. The USDA estimates that one in every 20,000 eggs contains salmonella bacteria, which means that the average consumer would encounter a contaminated egg once every 84 years.) That seems hard to square with the information that "Eggs and egg-containing foods are the primary vehicles of S. Enteritidis infection, having been implicated in 298 (80%) of the 371 known-source S. Enteritidis outbreaks reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1985 through 1999", taken from this article: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/1/04-0401_article https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/1/04-0401_article
- boomboomsubban 5y ago
  Between 2 and 4 out of every hundred thousand people were getting sick from it, I don't know the exact maths but it seems believable that all of these statements are broadly true.
- dsr_ 5y ago
  Think about it this way: a household of 4 might use a dozen eggs per day. At 1:20000, that's 4.5 years between seeing contaminated eggs. If the sanitary procedures reduce risk by 80%, they have a problem every 22 years or so. A moderately busy restaurant can use a thousand eggs per day. If their procedures are only 95% effective, they have a problem almost every year. 300 outbreaks in 15 years suggests that restaurants have egg handling procedures that are better than 95% effective.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 5y ago
    > a household of 4 might use a dozen eggs per day That's a lot!!! Even when I was raising chickens, we didn't get anywhere near those numbers: I gave away eggs like crazy. Maybe it's a societal thing? Certain cultures use eggs a lot more than others?
    - 5y ago
gcheong 5y ago
I prefer this version which forgoes the dairy until drinking time which I find to be smoother and less harsh than adding it upfront: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6704-eggnog-better-and-safer-with-age https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6704-eggnog-better-...
jasonpeacock 5y ago
I use Alton Brown's recipe, and I've sampled at various ages. Personally, I couldn't tell the difference between 1mo up to 1yr. 1mo is the best, IMO, but you want at least 2wks to meld the flavors.
simonebrunozzi 5y ago
For the curious, a very similar "drink" in Italy is called "Bombardino". [0] It's supposed to have some brandy added to the eggnog, I think. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardino
mountain_peak 5y ago
As someone who loved eggnog as a child (my favourite was eggnog with Honeycomb cereal), and who has since become glucose intolerant (surprise, surprise), I've made a low-carb version of Alton's recipe in recent years, and it's not bad, but nowhere near the original as I remember it. The only drawback is that without sugar, it's missing a 'thickness' element. I've tried erythritol, but (despite a glycemic index of 1), it seems to affect my blood sugar and I have to stick with stevia powder. I've also tried thickeners such as xanthan gum and inulin, but they end up making the eggnog 'slimy'. Egg yolk, cream, and almond milk all supply some net carbs, and in liquid form, they raise blood glucose levels rather quickly, which isn't great for someone who can't easily counteract a sudden rise in glucose, but a small glass doesn't seem to affect me. Ironically, the rum has zero carbs, as does the bourbon, but cognac is definitely out - can't say I notice. I've even tried to steam the mixture with my espresso maker wand to add thickness - making sure I stay under 140 degrees. Unfortunately, I think even though the overall temperature of the liquid is less than 140, the steam seems to 'cook' the egg as it exits the wand, making the eggnog a but 'chunky' - it was worth a shot!
- jasonpeacock 5y ago
  Maybe try Gum Arabic as thickener? When I make a simple syrup with it the result has a very velvety texture. But it does take a while to fully dissolve - I leave it in the sous vide for a few hours. Similarly, you can try a low heat over the stove top, or the sous vide, to thicken it like cooking a custard, that would avoid curdling the eggs.
  - mountain_peak 5y ago
    Great suggestion; I've never tried gum arabic in anything, but it looks like it's close profile-wise to the other thickeners, so I'll pick some up and give it a shot. I should have mentioned that I do cook the egg yolks over a double boiler (as if I'm making a hollandaise sauce), but the almond milk really thins out the mixture, plus I have to cut back the cream to half the amount (9g is too many carbs in a cup). Thanks for the tip!
bovermyer 5y ago
Here's my recipe for eggnog: https://benovermyer.com/recipe/eggnog/ https://benovermyer.com/recipe/eggnog/ I think I might try aging it. That sounds like a fun idea.

50 points by nielsbot 5y ago

Now that's how you write a title folks

I make Alton Brown's recipe every year. Aged eggnog is delicious. I'd never realized that aging it (at least 3 weeks) actually makes it safer. [0] - https://altonbrown.com/recipes/aged-eggnog/ https://altonbrown.com/recipes/aged-eggnog/

lux 5y ago
I made a double-sized batch of this a few weeks back for a holiday party this weekend and for the holidays. First time and can't wait to try!
justusthane 5y ago
I have two batches of this in my fridge right now!
- ortusdux 5y ago
  Thanks to covid, I didn't have enough guests over to finish off last years batch. First time I've had some survive the holidays! Defiantly looking foreword to taste-testing 1 year old vs 1 month old batches this year.
Mikeb85 5y ago
Makes it safer if it's uncooked, but most eggnog is cooked (like crème anglaise or ice cream base).
- nkozyra 5y ago
  Most (non-alcoholic) eggnog is pasteurized, I'd say it's a rarity to have 'cooked' eggs. When I make it, it's generally still really alcohol-laden in the mouth until ~ 3 weeks. The longest I've ever kept it is 6-8 weeks but I've heard good things about a year or longer
  - dsizzle 5y ago
    The difference between "cooking" and "pasteurizing" is only a few degrees: I've seen 138F for pasteurization while 142F starts to cook. I've never heard of eggnog with literally cooked eggs (chunks of egg and yolk? Yikes.). I would guess they meant "cook" in the loose sense of heat to kill bacteria (rather than cross-linking the proteins to create a solid)!
    - Mikeb85 5y ago
      There's literally an entire class of pastry creams involving egg yolks cooked into cream. With the proper technique it stays homogeneous. - Egg nog - Crème anglaise (and offshoots like Bavarian cream) - Crème pâtissière/pastry cream (plus offshoots like millefeuille cream) - Lemon curd - Ice cream base Anglaise, pastry cream and lemon curd also form the base for the majority of thickened cream preparations that end up in layered cakes and other pastries.
      - dsizzle 5y ago
        Ah, so you stir it while heating or dilute it enough or something and that prevents coagulation?
        Mikeb85 5y ago
        You also cook it to a temperature that causes it to pasteurize, thicken but not scramble. Or add starch which prevents it from scrambling for the ones cooked to a higher temperature. You stir while cooking very slowly until it reaches a specific temperature.

deegles 5y ago

These articles come out of hibernation every year and remind me, but it's too late! This year I'm making a batch (without the dairy), labeling it, and leaving it for Christmas 2022.

tpmx 5y ago
Make a great christmas mustard from scratch using mustard seeds instead. That's what I randomly got enthusiastic about today. Seems pretty easy, and with a pretty wide range of ways of mixing your way to your perfect mustard. Not sure if "christmas mustard" is a thing in the US though. Perhaps not.
- crookshanked 5y ago
  It should be... I love the concept of seasonal mustards. Care to share what recipe you landed on?
- GravitasFailure 5y ago
  >Not sure if "christmas mustard" is a thing in the US though. Perhaps not. Sadly, no. Maybe in the more German-influenced areas like Pennsylvania, but it does seem like a tradition that needs to be more widespread.

marban 5y ago

Just had a sip from a bottle that was stored open at room temperature for 4+ years. Apparently I'm still alive.

brewdad 5y ago
RemindMe 24 hours. ;-)

cheese_goddess 5y ago

> Whether it’s three weeks old or three years old, aged eggnog is actually safer to drink than fresh eggnog made with raw eggs—as long as you put plenty of booze in it. (Not that raw eggs are all that dangerous in the first place. The USDA estimates that one in every 20,000 eggs contains salmonella bacteria, which means that the average consumer would encounter a contaminated egg once every 84 years.) That seems hard to square with the information that "Eggs and egg-containing foods are the primary vehicles of S. Enteritidis infection, having been implicated in 298 (80%) of the 371 known-source S. Enteritidis outbreaks reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1985 through 1999", taken from this article: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/1/04-0401_article https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/1/04-0401_article

boomboomsubban 5y ago
Between 2 and 4 out of every hundred thousand people were getting sick from it, I don't know the exact maths but it seems believable that all of these statements are broadly true.
dsr_ 5y ago
Think about it this way: a household of 4 might use a dozen eggs per day. At 1:20000, that's 4.5 years between seeing contaminated eggs. If the sanitary procedures reduce risk by 80%, they have a problem every 22 years or so. A moderately busy restaurant can use a thousand eggs per day. If their procedures are only 95% effective, they have a problem almost every year. 300 outbreaks in 15 years suggests that restaurants have egg handling procedures that are better than 95% effective.
- HeyLaughingBoy 5y ago
  > a household of 4 might use a dozen eggs per day That's a lot!!! Even when I was raising chickens, we didn't get anywhere near those numbers: I gave away eggs like crazy. Maybe it's a societal thing? Certain cultures use eggs a lot more than others?
  - 5y ago

gcheong 5y ago

I prefer this version which forgoes the dairy until drinking time which I find to be smoother and less harsh than adding it upfront: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6704-eggnog-better-and-safer-with-age https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6704-eggnog-better-...

jasonpeacock 5y ago

I use Alton Brown's recipe, and I've sampled at various ages. Personally, I couldn't tell the difference between 1mo up to 1yr. 1mo is the best, IMO, but you want at least 2wks to meld the flavors.

simonebrunozzi 5y ago

For the curious, a very similar "drink" in Italy is called "Bombardino". [0] It's supposed to have some brandy added to the eggnog, I think. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardino

mountain_peak 5y ago

As someone who loved eggnog as a child (my favourite was eggnog with Honeycomb cereal), and who has since become glucose intolerant (surprise, surprise), I've made a low-carb version of Alton's recipe in recent years, and it's not bad, but nowhere near the original as I remember it. The only drawback is that without sugar, it's missing a 'thickness' element. I've tried erythritol, but (despite a glycemic index of 1), it seems to affect my blood sugar and I have to stick with stevia powder. I've also tried thickeners such as xanthan gum and inulin, but they end up making the eggnog 'slimy'. Egg yolk, cream, and almond milk all supply some net carbs, and in liquid form, they raise blood glucose levels rather quickly, which isn't great for someone who can't easily counteract a sudden rise in glucose, but a small glass doesn't seem to affect me. Ironically, the rum has zero carbs, as does the bourbon, but cognac is definitely out - can't say I notice. I've even tried to steam the mixture with my espresso maker wand to add thickness - making sure I stay under 140 degrees. Unfortunately, I think even though the overall temperature of the liquid is less than 140, the steam seems to 'cook' the egg as it exits the wand, making the eggnog a but 'chunky' - it was worth a shot!

jasonpeacock 5y ago
Maybe try Gum Arabic as thickener? When I make a simple syrup with it the result has a very velvety texture. But it does take a while to fully dissolve - I leave it in the sous vide for a few hours. Similarly, you can try a low heat over the stove top, or the sous vide, to thicken it like cooking a custard, that would avoid curdling the eggs.
- mountain_peak 5y ago
  Great suggestion; I've never tried gum arabic in anything, but it looks like it's close profile-wise to the other thickeners, so I'll pick some up and give it a shot. I should have mentioned that I do cook the egg yolks over a double boiler (as if I'm making a hollandaise sauce), but the almond milk really thins out the mixture, plus I have to cut back the cream to half the amount (9g is too many carbs in a cup). Thanks for the tip!

bovermyer 5y ago

Here's my recipe for eggnog: https://benovermyer.com/recipe/eggnog/ https://benovermyer.com/recipe/eggnog/ I think I might try aging it. That sounds like a fun idea.