Boiling eggs
Question
when I boil eggs I do not know if there are also eggs with blood. I always boil a minimum of 5 eggs. Can we eat the boiled eggs without further checking?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
There are many misconceptions abound with regard to the halachos of boiling eggs nowadays.
Eggs need only be checks when using eggs that derive from fertilized hens. Nowadays, however, the eggs we buy are -for better or for worse- the product of hormonal and artificial stimulation. They are not the result of natural reproduction. This artificial way of producing eggs is extremely profitable as a chicken can lay such manipulated eggs every single day.
The eggs we buy today are referred to as "commercial eggs" or "battery eggs." Since they are not the product of fertilization, mentioned above, they will never develop into chickens! As such, any "blood spots" found in these eggs are not truly blood, at least “halachic” blood. However, if one were to buy "natural," “free range,” or "organic" eggs, which are significant more expensive, these are indeed produced naturally by male/female fertilization and if one finds blood in such eggs, the blood real non-kosher blood and the egg must be discarded. The blood one sees in such eggs might actually be the early stages of an embryo. While there is some discussion on where the blood in such eggs is found, whether in the white or the yellow, according to the Askenaz minhag (and some sefardim), is to discard such eggs no matter where the blood is found, According to the mechaber only if the blood is found on the yellow part of the egg then it needs to be discarded.
Nevertheless, as you know, in practice the halacha is to also check the “commercial eggs” for blood before using them, since sometimes organic or free range eggs eggs are mixed inside.If blood is indeed found in such eggs, then it needs to be discarded. It is important to check that the red stain isn't from the ink of the stamp, and only if it is the color of red or black, but white or brown is permitted,
There is also the custom to only cook 3 or more eggs at a time. This is because in the event that one of the eggs contain blood it would be nullified by the other two eggs thereby better maintaining their kosher status. However, even one egg can be boiled at a time, however if blood is found in the egg one needs to kasher the pot in which the egg with the blood was found (since this is a stringency one may even kasher a Teflon pot.) But when boiling 3 or more at a time the pot will not need to be kashered even if blood is found in one of the eggs.
Boiled eggs do not need to be checked though if blood is incidentally seen it should be discarded as written above.