With so many chefs and the “freedom of speech” thing going on in the U.S., there’s no hard-fast rule of what size eggs must be called for in a recipe. So, if your recipe doesn’t specify, go for “large.” But, if it calls for medium or extra-large, here’s a little chart to get you through:
- 1 Large egg = 1 Jumbo egg = 1 Extra-Large egg = 1 Medium egg
- 2 Large eggs = 1 1/2 Jumbo eggs = 2 Extra-Large eggs = 2 Medium eggs
- 3 Large eggs = 2 1/2 Jumbo eggs = 2 1/2 Extra-Large eggs = 3 1/2 Medium eggs
- 4 Large eggs = 3 1/2 Jumbo eggs = 3 1/2 Extra-Large eggs = 4 1/2 Medium eggs
- 5 Large eggs = 4 Jumbo eggs = 4 Extra-Large eggs = 6 Medium eggs
- 6 Large eggs = 5 Jumbo eggs = 5 Extra-Large eggs = 7 Medium eggs
Now comes the tricky part – how do you measure a 1/2-egg? Simply crack open the egg, beat it with a whisk, then measure out half of that mixture. You’ll need to use the remaining mixture within a day or two, though, as it will go bad soon. Egg whites freeze well, but egg yolks don’t like to be frozen. Basic rule of thumb? Just keep large eggs in the house. Oh, and make sure they’re egg-stra fresh. Okay, I realize how bad that was, but really, who could resist??