Ostrich egg: beneficial properties, how to cook

Ostrich meat is still considered something exotic and unusual,

requiring a special approach to preparation and

knowledge of some culinary secrets. In fact, recipes with ostrich meat are simple, and the ostrich meat itself is prepared very quickly and does not require special ingredients.

We offer you several recipes for ostrich meat. You can change them and experiment with ingredients.

Cutlets

Perhaps the most delicious chicken dish is cutlets. Meat

Ostrich cooks even faster than chicken, so perhaps the cutlets turn out to be tastier and juicier than traditional ones.

So, take the meat, chop it (you can just chop it), add salt, pepper or other spices to taste, one egg and chopped onion. Roll in breading and place in a frying pan. Fry until golden brown.

Recipes with ostrich eggs

One ostrich egg weighs 1.5 kilograms! Even from one egg you can prepare a dish for a large family. The easiest and fastest way is to make an omelette. Since the composition of ostrich eggs does not differ from chicken eggs, there will be no difficulties in preparing them.

So, break the egg, pour into a deep bowl, add milk, salt, herbs, spices, mix thoroughly. Pour into a frying pan or baking dish. In 10-20 minutes the omelette will be ready.

If you want to try a boiled egg, you will have to wait: hard-boiled it takes at least 75 minutes, and soft-boiled - about 45. There are many recipes with ostrich eggs. They are used not only as the main ingredient, but also in salads.

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• How to properly open and cook an ostrich egg
• How to boil an egg without a shell
• How to Boil an Egg for Easy Peeling

Features of an ostrich farm

Ostrich farms are increasingly appearing in central Russia, especially in the central and southern districts. This type of agriculture is popular because ostriches are very unpretentious and do not need a lot of space.

You can get many products from this bird:

• Low cholesterol meat
• Eggs, which are highly prized among gourmets
• Leather, which is highly prized among furriers
• Feathers that have bright decorative properties
• Claws and beak, which are used for the production of decorative items, jewelry and fasteners
• Fat as a raw material for cosmetics

One of the valuable products of an ostrich farm is eggs. Therefore, many novice farmers are often concerned with the question: how often do ostriches lay eggs? On average, a healthy female produces from 60 to 80 eggs per year.

Moreover, females do not lay eggs regularly, but twice a year. The laying lasts 2 months, during which the bird lays one egg every 2 days. During one egg-laying period, an ostrich manages to lay 30-40 eggs.

The cost of one ostrich egg averages 1,500 – 2,000 rubles. Therefore, if you take into account how many eggs an ostrich lays per year, you can calculate the approximate revenue from eggs alone.

How to properly open an ostrich egg

One ostrich egg is equal to about twenty chicken eggs.

Place the ostrich egg on a flat surface previously covered with a thick towel to prevent the product from slipping. Arm yourself with a hammer and chisel. Place the last one on top of the egg and hit it with a hammer until it breaks the shell. Invert the egg over a large bowl and remove the contents.

You can also use an ordinary drill to make a hole in the egg and pour the white and yolk through it. If they flow too slowly, drill another hole, not far from the first.

Ostrich eggs contain more magnesium and iron, but much less cholesterol and slightly less saturated fat than an equivalent volume of chicken eggs. They also contain less vitamins A, E and zinc.

The biggest scrambled egg, or What to cook from an unusual product

In Africa, ostrich meat and eggs have been used as food for at least the last 150 years. Ostrich eggs can be prepared exactly like other poultry products: fry omelettes and scrambled eggs, boil, bake, add to dough and casseroles. It is important to understand that they will take longer to cook. To cook such a giant, you need to spend at least an hour and a half [7]. But one egg can feed 10 people. Ostrich eggs taste like chicken eggs, but have a slight sweetish taste.

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The easiest way to prepare it is to boil a giant egg. This will be a ready-to-eat product. Or you can make a more interesting dish out of it. The boiled egg along with the shell must be carefully cut into 2 equal parts. Take out the white and yolk, cut them into pieces and mash thoroughly. Add spices, herbs or fried onions to the egg puree (however, there can be many filling options), mix everything and fill both halves of the shell with the resulting mixture. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven until a golden crust of bread crumbs forms.

Weight, size and color of eggs

Eggs vary in shape, size, weight, structure and shell porosity. An ostrich egg is oval, with a glossy, porcelain-like shell and hundreds of pores. It is distinguished by its gigantic dimensions, its parameters are 13 by 16 cm. And the weight of one copy can reach 1200-2000 g, which is equivalent to 24 chickens.

The shell can be pearly white or cream in color. However, there are also eggs of exotic colors, it depends on the breed of ostrich. For example, the rhea ostrich lays yellow eggs, the white-gray ostrich lays a yellow-pink hue, and the emu lays green eggs.

Only unfertilized eggs obtained from young females are used for food!

Video

Only those eggs that are laid by incompletely formed young females are sold as food. These are unfertilized embryos, unsuitable for placing in an incubator and hatching.

• One unfertilized egg intended for food costs 1.2-2 thousand rubles.
• The price of an embryo suitable for incubation starts from 3 thousand rubles.

Ostriches retain the ability to lay eggs for up to 45 years, their total lifespan reaches 70 years. This makes farms for breeding huge birds a profitable and promising business, although organizing such a business requires considerable investment.

Nutritional characteristics and vitamin-mineral composition

The composition of an ostrich egg is practically no different from the eggs of other birds. The lipid and protein content is close to that of a chicken product, but the calorie content is low, only 118 kcal per 100 g.

Due to its enormous size, one egg is a real storehouse of nutrients. It contains:

• vitamin A - 19.5 mcg/g;
• carotenoids - 36.6 µg/g;
• vitamin E - 116.5 mcg/g.

The product also includes:

In addition, ostrich eggs are superior to chicken eggs in the content of lysine, threonine and amino acids. But there is no sodium at all.

The nutritional value

Content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates per 100 g of product:

Main advantages

Low in cholesterol and saturated fat

If you compare 1 chicken egg and an equivalent amount of ostrich, it turns out that both products contain the same amount of fat - approximately 5 g. Meanwhile, the calorie content of ostrich fat is slightly lower. In addition, the ostrich product is completely free of saturated fats, of which chicken contains about 2 g. But perhaps the most important argument in favor of ostrich eggs is their extremely low cholesterol content. If a chicken product contains 211 mg of cholesterol (approximately 70% of the daily value), then an equivalent serving of ostrich contains only 11 mg, which corresponds to 4% of the allowed limit.

Protein source

The body of an adult male requires approximately 56 g of protein daily. For women, the norm is about 46 g. Although an ostrich egg contains slightly less protein than a chicken egg, it still remains an excellent source of proteins. A serving equivalent to 1 chicken egg will provide about 10% of your daily protein requirement. In addition, the balanced composition of amino acids makes it a so-called “complete” protein. Unlike other poultry eggs, the ostrich product contains more threonine and lysine, but slightly less alanine.

Useful and harmful properties

The benefits of ostrich eggs are due to its vitamin and mineral composition and the ideal ratio of BJU (proteins, fats, carbohydrates). In general, the product has the following beneficial effects on the body:

• strengthens the cardiovascular system;
• improves vision;
• promotes muscle building;
• improves the general condition of hair, nails and skin.

The dangers of eating ostrich eggs

Eating this delicacy, in addition to its beneficial properties, also carries certain dangers:

• people who are allergic to chicken eggs should avoid consuming the ostrich equivalent, as they are more likely to have an allergic reaction to this product;
• It is recommended to consume eggs in limited quantities due to their high fat content; introducing ostrich eggs into the daily diet can lead to blockage of blood vessels;
• It is prohibited for use by people with individual intolerance to eggs;
• there is a risk of infection with salmonellosis, since ostriches are susceptible to this disease, it is recommended to heat the product to eliminate the risk of infection.

Features of ostrich eggs

The cost of such a delicacy is very high. You won't be able to buy it in a supermarket, but you can order it from an ostrich farm. Good specimens go into the incubator, and only these categories go up for sale:

• late or early;
• demolished by young representatives of the species;
• unfertilized.

Appearance

The average specimen reaches twenty centimeters and can weigh up to 1700 g. Due to its distinctive dimensions, an ostrich egg takes 8-9 times longer to cook than a chicken egg.

The shell resembles porcelain, thick, strong and with a slight texture. It is used for carving. There are dark green specimens from Emu ostriches (some are almost black) and pink-yellow specimens from the Nandu species.

Regardless of the type and external features, they all have almost the same taste. Cooking takes the same amount of time after boiling. Similar to chicken, but the aroma and taste are more pronounced.

Dishes with exotic ingredients have a rich aftertaste. You can cook it at home or try the dish in a restaurant or cafe.

Beneficial features

A storehouse of vitamins and microelements. Regular consumption is a practice for heart and vascular diseases. Contains in large quantities:

Regardless of whether the ostrich egg is boiled, fried or baked, its beneficial properties are not lost. Experts recommend limiting consumption for obese people (in addition to protein, the composition contains a lot of fat). Prohibited for consumption by those who have allergic reactions to chicken protein or yolk.

Energy and nutritional value

It differs in nutritional value and is equivalent to 35 chicken. Small specimens are equal to 20. 100 g of product contains 115 kcal, so the product is considered dietary. Additionally, per 100 g, 0.7 g of carbohydrates, 12 g of proteins and 11 g of fat are calculated.

How to choose an egg and evaluate its freshness?

Since an ostrich egg is an expensive product, it is important to be able to choose correctly and evaluate its freshness. Please consider the following when purchasing:

• It is recommended to buy the product from specialized farms, and it would be useful to ask the owner for product certificates.
• Females lay eggs from April to November; this should be taken into account when purchasing, since eggs purchased in mid-winter or early spring will definitely be of low quality.
• It is not recommended to buy eggs with traces of bird excrement or damage to the integrity of the shell.
• You can check whether the product is fresh by shaking it a little - there should be no squelching sounds, as aging of the product causes the release of liquid and an increase in the depth of the air chamber.
• Another way to check is to immerse the egg in brine. The fresh product will sink to the bottom of the dish.

How to properly store the product

After collecting the product, you need to pay attention to the recommendations for its storage. Ostrich eggs are quite large in size, so they cannot be stored like goose or chicken eggs. Optimal storage conditions:

• Before direct storage, the surface must be washed in warm water. In this case, you can add chlorine. After washing, wipe and dry.
• Recommended storage conditions are +2 to −2 °C at a humidity of 85 to 88%. Under such conditions, the product retains its quality for three months.
• At room temperature, the maximum shelf life is 30 days, provided there is no damage to the shell. This is due to the fact that the shell is very sealed, it does not allow oxygen to enter inside, but even a small crack can lead to damage to the contents.

An ostrich egg is not easy to break, and its color scheme evokes associations with the color of a bird's feather
. If the egg is broken, it is useful for only three days if stored in a closed container.

Attention! It is not recommended to clean the surface of the shell with cold water, as it may get inside. As a result, the shelf life is significantly reduced.

How to cook an ostrich egg?

Buying an “overseas bird” egg is half the battle. But to break and cook it, you also need to have special knowledge.

How to properly crack an ostrich egg?

There are several ways:

1. Find the blunt side of the egg and place a knife with a pointed tip in the center. Lightly tapping it with a hammer marks a hole. Use a knife to widen the hole until a tube can be inserted into it. A tube is inserted and passed up and down to break the membrane. Turn the egg with the hole down over the dish and blow into the tube. The contents, pushed out by the air entering the shell, will spill into the dish.
2. The egg is placed on its side in a plate for stability. Using a drill, supporting the egg with one hand, make a hole closer to the top. Having made a sufficient hole, place a long wooden stick in it and mix the contents. Pour it into a container.
3. Tap the center of the blunt side with the handle of a knife. When a crack appears, they begin to break off pieces of the shell until there is a hole large enough to remove the contents.
4. If it is necessary to keep the yolk intact, make a wide hole. Using a small saw, file the top of the egg around the circumference. Carefully remove the top part of the shell and open the shell. The contents with the whole yolk are poured into a container.

In the following video you can clearly see how to break an ostrich egg:

How to separate the white from the yolk?

If it is necessary to separate the white from the yolk, the egg should be broken into two halves. But this is not as easy to do as with chicken. Using a hammer, small dents are made along the equatorial circumference, then the shell is cut with a knife along the marked line.

A serrated electric knife, which can handle thick shells, is perfect for these purposes.

Cooking options

Ostrich eggs are used in cooking in the same way as chicken eggs. They taste a little sweeter than the chicken equivalent. It is advisable to use them where a large quantity is needed, for example, chicken eggs. So, they are used to make meringues, biscuits or custards.

They make omelettes, scrambled eggs, and boiled ostrich eggs are added to salads, toppings, or simply placed in slices on a sandwich.

To get a soft-boiled egg, it takes about 45 minutes to cook, and to make a hard-boiled egg, it takes about 60 minutes!

Portuguese ostrich egg omelette recipe

To prepare a delicious dish you will need:

• ostrich egg - 1 pc.;
• tomatoes - 5 pcs.;
• young zucchini - 2 pcs. (small);
• grated cheese - 100 g;
• vegetable oil for frying;
• tomato sauce, spices, herbs - to taste.

1. Beat the egg and pour into a large preheated frying pan;
2. Fry the product, periodically lifting the edges;
3. Chop the tomatoes and zucchini, fry them in another frying pan in vegetable oil;
4. Place vegetables on egg and wrap;
5. Sprinkle with cheese, herbs and spices to taste, you can also add tomato paste.

In some European countries, ostrich eggs are prepared for Easter in the following way: the shell is opened on top, the contents are mixed and baked for half an hour in the oven.

Preparation

Ostrich eggs cannot be found in a regular supermarket or grocery store. They are ordered from farms. After the purchase, the question of preparation arises.

If the housewife is preparing a delicacy for the first time, she may be confused. After all, it is not so easy to break it and extract the contents. In restaurants, they use a special knitting needle for this.

Processing before cooking

Before cooking, the product is thoroughly washed, dirt is removed, and wiped dry. Then they punch a hole in the bottom and in the top, and pierce the film of white and yolk with a thin knife. Blow out the contents.

You can make a hole using a drill. A saw will help to leave the yolk intact (saw along the entire circumference). Carefully remove the shell and pierce the shell.

What can you cook

A soft-boiled egg is served with vegetables or used as an ingredient for a hot salad. Hard boil for 70 minutes from the start of boiling.

Serve sliced ​​as a single dish or salad ingredient. Cooking retains the maximum number of beneficial properties. Unlike frying, the dish turns out to be less caloric.

Fried eggs are the easiest to prepare. Pour oil into a heated frying pan, followed by the egg mixture. But more often it is prepared in the form of an omelet.

Then you will additionally need milk, herbs and vegetables. It is not recommended to serve it with protein-rich meat, as the meal will be too heavy for the body.

Baking ostrich eggs is suitable for making a savory cream. Beat the mixture, distribute into molds and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. Remove after 20 minutes.

Add spices or grate goat cheese on top. Serve this cream with fresh vegetables, herbs or cold salad.

Recipe

The most popular egg dish is omelet. Before cooking, the product is washed and cleaned of contaminants. Make two holes and tear the film of white and yolk with a knitting needle or knife. They will invent the content.

Wash and chop a large tomato and two bell peppers. Place a frying pan on the fire and add oil. Vegetables are fried in oil, then the egg mixture is poured. Add salt, spices and herbs. Cover with a lid and reduce heat.

Remove from heat when ready. One egg is enough to prepare a meal for the whole family. The omelette can also be prepared in the oven in a silicone mold. This will reduce calories.

Where can I buy?

Today, buying ostrich eggs is common. You can purchase the product in specialized stores, on farms or order it online. Here are a few places to buy good quality ostrich eggs:

• Private farms that specialize in breeding ostriches are the best place to buy. For example, the Russian Ostrich farm, which is located in the Moscow region, is one of the largest ostrich farms today. On the farm's website you can see the range of products; they offer table eggs, empty or decorated shells. You must inquire about delivery by calling the phone numbers provided on the website.
• The Ostrichland farm is no less famous among fans of the delicacy; it delivers table ostrich eggs throughout Moscow and the Moscow region. In addition, it offers various natural products for sale, and also conducts tours of the ostrich ranch.
• Food stores. Not many grocery stores carry ostrich eggs, but there are a few places where you can find the product. For example, the Azbuka Vkusa supermarket chain not only sells eggs, but also delivers throughout Moscow and the Moscow region and is a trusted supplier.

The average cost of an ostrich egg ranges from 800-2000 rubles, depending on weight.

How to use the shell?

Although the shell of an ostrich egg is thin, only 2-5 mm, it can withstand a load of about 120 kg, it is an extremely strong and durable material that can be used for various purposes.

Thus, the use of shells for making unusual souvenirs is due to its durability and beauty. It is used as a basis for delightful carved boxes, interior decorations, and the empty shell, from which the contents have been blown out, but which has retained the shape of an egg, is used in itself as a souvenir or decorated with paintings or complex decor.

More recently, a new type of art has appeared, although not very widespread - shell carving, and exclusively ostrich eggs are used for this. Masters create lace and openwork patterns, and sometimes even create entire paintings.

But in the desert, the shell is a valuable find, as it is used as cutlery, because such a “bowl” can hold up to a liter of liquid.

Since the shell is rich in calcium, it is used as a fertilizer or food additive, after being crushed.

Interesting Facts

Here are some interesting facts about ostrich eggs:

• ostrich eggs are the largest in the world, the largest egg was discovered in China, its weight was more than 2 kg, and its diameter was 18.6 cm;
• a female ostrich can lay 40-80 eggs in one season;
• You can make scrambled eggs from one egg and feed 10 people;
• males incubate eggs at night, and females during the day;
• Recently, it has become popular to paint ostrich eggs for Easter; they make interesting and unusual “colors”;
• ostriches in one nest can hatch up to 25 eggs at the same time;
• for comparison, the shell thickness of a chicken egg is only 0.3-0.4 mm, a goose egg is 0.55 mm, ostrich eggs are also record holders here with a shell thickness of 2-2.55 mm.

What is special about ostriches and their eggs?

The ostrich is one of the oldest representatives of ratites (flightless) birds [1]. Archaeologists have found the fossilized skeleton of this bird, which is more than 120 million years old. This largest known living bird comes from Africa. Males can be recognized by their black and white plumage and larger size. Some individuals reach almost 2.5 meters in height and weigh more than 130 kilograms. Females are usually sandy in color and typically grow to 170-200 cm [2].

Content:

• What is special about ostriches and their eggs?
• What does a giant egg look like?
• Nutritional characteristics
• Main advantages
• How to choose the right eggs and break the shells
• The biggest scrambled egg, or What to cook from an unusual product
• How to use the shell

In the wild, every year for 25-30 years, a mature female lays 12 to 15 eggs after mating. This process is usually repeated every few weeks. On farms, eggs are quickly removed from an ostrich's nest to prolong the laying period [3]. In this way, during the season, which usually lasts from mid-March to mid-August, 80-100 eggs can be obtained from one female. However, for these birds, figures of 40-50 pieces are more typical. It is interesting that both parents hatch the offspring - the male sits on the nest at night, and the female warms the future chicks during the day. And this is no coincidence. At night, thanks to the dark plumage, the males on the nest are not so noticeable to predators, and during the day, the gray-brown females are camouflaged, merging with the sand. However, during the 35-45 day incubation period, on average, only 10% of the laid offspring survive.

It is also interesting that all females in the flock lay eggs in a common hole (up to 60 eggs).

In this case, the laying hen that was the first to lay offspring remains dominant. She determines which ones to hatch and throws out the future offspring of the weaker members of the flock from the pit. Surprisingly, despite the fact that all ostrich eggs are the same, the female is able to determine in the nest which of them are her own.

Wild ostriches are found in the dry, hot savannas and forests of Africa. In the past, these giant birds were found throughout Asia, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. But after several centuries of hunting ostriches, their habitat has narrowed south of the Sahara. However, ostriches are raised in captivity all over the world.