Is It Safe to Drink Eggnog? (2024)

FAQs

Is It Safe to Drink Eggnog? ›

You can ensure that you and your guests are sipping safely, though, Rogers says. Almost all the eggnog sold in stores is pasteurized, which kills bacteria, but he says to be sure to check that the carton or bottle is clearly labeled as such. If you make your own, use pasteurized liquid eggs, which are sold in a carton.

Use pasteurized eggs for eggnog

Eggnog may be safely made at home by using whole, liquid or pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs are found next to regular eggs at the store. Egg substitutes can also be used. These products have also been pasteurized.

Serve your eggnog chilled and plain for a classic treat.

The most classic way to serve eggnog doesn't involve any prep, and it's perfect as an after-dinner treat around the holidays. All you have to do is pour chilled eggnog into a glass. It pairs nicely with sweets, especially baked goods make with milk or cream.

How Risky Is It To Drink Eggnog? Food Safety Experts Share Their Concerns. Salmonella accounts for 26,000 hospitalizations and over 400 fatalities a year. Homemade is usually better, but not necessarily in the case of eggnog.

“That's because all of these can compound into a difficult-to-digest situation, requiring digestive enzymes like lactase, sucrase and alcohol dehydrogenase to kick into high gear all at the same time. This could lead to gas, diarrhea, cramping or abdominal pain within 30 minutes to a few hours after drinking.”

There are two ways to make eggnog: with cooked eggs or raw eggs. Either way, the basic premise is to whisk egg yolks with sugar to increase the volume of the yolks and create a natural thickener. Milk and cream are then added along with cinnamon and nutmeg for the traditional flavor.

Regular heartburn sufferers know the importance of avoiding certain food items to prevent an acid reflux attack. Eggnog is prepared using heavy cream and egg yolks. Eggnog high fat content makes it an important heartburn trigger beverage especially when alcohol is added.

Sugar's addictive properties have been studied, and ice cream mix used to make eggnog contains its fair share, both from the milk sugar lactose and from added sugars.

Salmonella doesn't make the hen sick. Eggs are washed and sanitized at the processing plant. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 in every 20,000 eggs are contaminated with Salmonella. Persons infected with Salmonella may experience diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting.

The early popularity of eggnog in the United States can probably be explained by the fact that all of its constituent ingredients were relatively more abundant and less expensive than in the British Isles, but today it is popular throughout the English-speaking world.

How to tell if eggnog has gone bad? ›

The Food and Drug Administration suggests consuming commercial eggnog within three to five days of opening a carton, and you should drink homemade eggnog within two to four days of making. If you're unsure whether eggnog has gone off, give it a whiff, and check for these signs: lumpy texture. spoiled milk smell.

Most plants keep producing eggnog through New Year's, and start dumping their unsold product in January. Although associated with the holidays, eggnog doesn't need to be seasonal. Dairy plants could produce small batches of eggnog off-season for hard-core nogheads, but they don't because it's not cost-effective.

"Eggnog commonly contains nutmeg, which contains anti-inflammatory antioxidants," Hultin says. Antioxidants help protect your cells against oxidative stress, a process that damages and inflames them.

Eggnog is usually served cold, but you may choose to heat it, especially if you're coming in from making snowmen or ice skating. And you can spike eggnog with a splash of brandy, rum or your spirit of choice, but it's also delicious simply spiked with vanilla or cinnamon.

Pasteurizing eggs involves submerging eggs in warm water baths that are carefully time and temperature controlled. This process destroys any bacteria that may be present without cooking the eggs.

When can babies have eggnog? After 12 months of age, if the eggnog is pasteurized and free of alcohol. While we generally recommend waiting until age 2 to introduce sugar into a toddler's diet, a small taste of pasteurized, alcohol-free eggnog on a special occasion after a child's first birthday is just fine.