Egg Nog

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

This makes sense for nonalcoholic homemade egg nog, but for us non-apologetic nog spikers wouldn’t a few oz. of germ killing alchohol (approx. 70-80 proof liquor) assure that any salmonella was throughly killed after a bit of stirring?

2

The only info I’m aware of offhand is from an experiment run by a microbiology lab several years ago that I would not take as gospel, and I’m sure neither would the lab. Link to article.

To sum up the already very short article, alcohol killed pretty much all the naturally occurring dairy micro-organisms in the eggnog in 24 hours, but was unable to eliminate all the salmonella in 24 hours. The scientists noted that they used 1000 times more salmonella than you’d find in a contaminated egg, though. Perhaps with a more reasonable amount of salmonella or a longer sitting time, they’d find it more efficacious.

Me, I just buy the stuff in the carton.

3

You want to be heating it to scald the milk, anyway. Temper in the eggs and bring it back to 170 for a few seconds just like you would for ice cream, and the problem is solved, anyhow (Salmonella dies at 165).

4

Scald the milk?

Heating ice cream?

:confused:

5

Ice cream starts as a sort of custard base. You cook the milk, eggs and cream so it thickens some (caused by partly cooking the egg whites and yolk), egg nog is just a very thin ( to the point of staying liquid) custard.

6

I’ve seen eggnog recipes both ways: some require heating the milk and some don’t. If I was making the cold version I would probably just use pasteurized eggs even though the booze should theoretically be enough.

7

If the booze is enough (and it is), why bother with the milk or eggs at all?

8

There’s a reason why rubbing alcohol is 140 proof… that’s the concentration it takes to sanitize things. So, if you’re putting some 151 rum in your eggnog? I don’t think you’ll notice if you get a little salmonella…

9

Link to original article: What’s the origin of “egg nog”? - The Straight Dope

10

Most cocktail books usually have a “fresh” and a “hot” eggnog version, so apparently there’s enough of a flavor difference for people to prefer one over the other.

11

Science Friday did a story about this. What they found out is after three weeks, the booze will serialize the egg nog and make it safe to drink…

12

I’m pretty sure all eggnog is serialized.

At least, I don’t drink it all at once.