Three large eggs: To match the amount of three large eggs, use two jumbo eggs, three extra-large or medium eggs or four small eggs.
Medium eggs must be a minimum of 21 ounces per dozen. Large eggs must be a minimum of 24 ounces per dozen. Extra-large eggs must be a minimum of 27 ounces per dozen. Jumbo eggs must be a minimum of 30 ounces per dozen.
When a recipe calls for just one or two eggs, feel free to substitute any size. For larger quantities, follow these substitution guidelines: 3 large eggs are equivalent to: 3 medium eggs, 3 extra-large eggs, 2 jumbo eggs. 4 large eggs are equivalent to: 5 medium eggs, 4 extra-large eggs, 3 jumbo eggs.
If a recipe calls for 2 large eggs you can use 3 medium eggs instead if you prefer.
The wrong egg size alters the liquid ratio in a recipe.
"Egg size has the greatest impact on the taste and texture of baked goods in recipes that call for more than one egg," explains Drexinger.
Hard-boiled eggs make take a little longer to cook if they're extra-large or jumbo. In baking, the answer is yes, you can use extra-large and jumbo eggs instead of large, with a few adjustments.
As a general rule of thumb, an egg's weight is roughly 11 percent due to its shell, 31 percent from its yolk, and 58 percent from the white. This means that egg white will increase proportionally with the egg's size, and so the jumbo eggs are still the cheapest in unit cost.
Jumbo: Jumbo eggs refer to especially large eggs that measure 30 ounces per dozen or 2.5 ounces per egg. These are relatively rare, but not as unusual as peewee eggs.
As the hand packers fill their Jumbo egg cartons with Super Jumbos, more than 50% of those will include an extra yolk. So that makes something fairly rare in nature suddenly appear rather common, simply because they have all been grouped together during the packing process and put into the same cartons.
Now, if you're simply scrambling some eggs, the size probably won't make a significant difference in your overall enjoyment of the dish. Using two extra-large or jumbo eggs might give you a slightly bigger omelette on average, but you also just might get unlucky and use two smaller eggs from a heavier carton.
As the largest type of chicken egg, jumbo eggs contain more nutrients than their smaller counterparts. Each jumbo egg contains only 90 calories, and also provides a source of essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals important for good health.
Egg size matters more in some baking recipes than others. One good rule of thumb to keep in mind: The more eggs in a recipe, the more size will have a significant impact. As you add more eggs, that difference in weight—~2 ounces for a large compared to ~2 ¼ ounces for an XL and ~2 ½ for a jumbo—is amplified.
Most recipes are developed with large eggs as the standard. Though each egg's volume may vary slightly, using large eggs will yield results closest to that of the recipe developer's intention. For this reason, unless another size is specified, we always opt for large eggs when baking.
Most baking recipes call for large eggs. If a recipe calls for two large eggs, that means the proportions of the recipe are counting on about 6 1/2 tablespoons of liquid egg. If we were to use extra-large or even jumbo eggs in place of large eggs, we'd adding far more liquid that the recipe proportions account for.
Overall, changing the number of eggs in your cake recipe can alter the properties of your cake. Too few eggs will yield a cake that is overly compact and doesn't hold together will. Too many eggs can leave you with a spongy or rubbery mess.
Two large eggs: If your recipe requires two large eggs, you can substitute two eggs of either medium, extra-large or jumbo size. The only amount adjustment necessary is if you have small eggs instead, in which case, you should use three.
So what should you buy for baking and pastry? Stick with large chicken eggs, unless otherwise specified in your recipe; most U.S. baking and pastry recipes are designed to be made with large-sized chicken eggs.
Using a different size egg will alter the liquid ratio in a recipe and also potentially deprive it of the required leavening power (or provide too much, which might cause a cake to rise too quickly and then collapse).
The ratios are wrong, and it will affect the texture of your cake. It will be denser than if you used the correct number of eggs and it will be crumbly, since the protein in egg whites provides structure that holds the cake together.
Double yolked eggs can in most cases be used on a one-for-one basis for regular eggs in baking.
The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) is urging consumers to buy small, medium or mixed weight eggs in a bid to protect the welfare of laying hens. The rehoming charity says around half the eggs laid by commercial chickens are large or extra-large, which can cause health problems such as prolapse.