December is National Eggnog Month (and Egg Nog Day is December 24th, so ’tis the season), and this is a favorite drink for many families during the holidays. Did you know eggnog dates back to the 13th century? Today variations of this timeless spiced egg and milk drink are enjoyed in countries around the world.
Since eggs are the starring ingredient, it’s important to note that both the FDA and Egg Safety Center recommend using a recipe with a cooked egg base to avoid any possibility of foodborne illness.
When making the cooked egg base, pay attention to these FDA recommendations:
- Combine eggs and half the milk as indicated in the recipe. Other ingredients, such as sugar may be added at this step.
- Cook the mixture gently to an internal temperature of 160° F, stirring constantly. The cooking will destroy any bacteria that might be present. At this temperature, the mixture will firmly coat a metal spoon. But please don’t lick the spoon if the custard is not fully cooked!
- After cooking, chill the mixture before adding the rest of the milk and other ingredients.
If you don’t have time to make a cooked egg base but still want delicious homemade eggnog, you can use pasteurized eggs or egg product instead. Just avoid using raw eggs in any of your holiday recipes. And remember, some might think that adding alcohol to eggnog kills any bacteria, but this is false! For more information on safely preparing homemade eggnog, visit foodsafety.gov.
Want to try your hand at a Nog but don’t know where to start?
You can sample these from foodnetwork.com including a 15 minute Egg Nog from Alton Brown, Irish Egg Nog, Non-Alcoholic and Low Calorie recipes, Egg Nog Cheesecake, Egg Nog Cookies, Egg Nog Cream Pie, Egg Nog Truffles and more!
Or, how about these recipes from cdkitchen.com, including George Washington’s Egg Nog, to Non-Alcoholic Egg Nog, Ice Cream Egg Nog, Egg Nog Bundt Cake, Egg Nog Waffles, Egg Nog Cream Puffs, and more!
Happy Holidays, and enjoy your Nog!
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Photo Credit: Oksana Mizina / Shutterstock.com