As an ingredient, egg yolks are an important emulsifier in the kitchen, and are also used as a thickener in custards. The albumen, or egg white, contains protein, but little or no fat, and can be used in cooking separately from the yolk.
The deep yellow or pale hue of your egg yolk doesn’t measure healthfulness directly, according to the American Egg Association. Instead, it’s indicative of a chicken’s feed. Chickens that are fed grains and grasses full of carotenoids (like lutein and zeaxanthin) have more vibrantly yellow yolks, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to a more nutritious yolk.
It could measure chicken health, however: As Dr. Hilary Shallo Thesmar of the Egg Nutrition Center told Chow, free range chickens have access to a greater diversity of foods, which in turn makes them more likely to have deeper yellow yolks.
Cloudy Vs. Clear Egg Whites
What makes for a cloudy or clear egg white? It’s the age of the egg. Older eggs have clear whites, while fresh eggs can have a milky, opaque look.
