Eggnog is one of the decadent treats of the season, something I allow myself to have in the evening with a little brandy, or warmed with coffee in the morning. People have been making their own eggnog for decades, but did you know that some of these same folks actually age their nog anywhere from one month to one year?
I didn't either until I read Holly Jenning's exploration of the topic in a recent piece for Art of Eating. But first before exploring the topic too heavily, what is aged eggnog? It is really just as you'd think: homemade eggnog that is left to sit in barrels to age on its own. Some recipes leave out the dairy altogether, stirring it in at the very end. Others fold in whipped cream while others still fold in additional egg whites.
Jennings experimented on her own, aging her nog for 3 months before serving it to dinner guests. Her conclusion: a much "rounder, smoother, and noticeably more complex" flavor. I couldn't help but thinking: how much better could it really be? Did eggnog need that much improving in the first place? Plus, I couldn't help but wonder about the safety of the whole endeavor. It seems Jennings was anticipating that, noting that aged eggnog is actually "safer to drink than fresh eggnog made with raw eggs because the alcohol, after three weeks, kills any trace of salmonella."
So now I suppose my skepticism has turned more to a fierce curiosity. I'd love to know: have any of you tried aged eggnog?
→ Read more: Aged Eggnog at Art of Eating
Related: DIY Recipe: Eggnog Latte
(Image: Epicurean Mom)
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Definitely going to try making this!
Kismet! Science Friday (NPR) did a story about this last week that had me so curious I may just try it. Seems like there are no worries, indeed, about bacteria: http://bit.ly/SHuySM
A friend of mine in San Francisco makes aged egg nog every year. She makes it in October for a big unveiling at a Christmas party mid-December. Known for its potency and amazing flavor, it's gone in less than an hour.
Yep, my husband and I made a batch of this two years ago and then drank it last Christmas, and it was really delicious, a big hit!
Yes! We've done this a couple of years now and it is by far the best egg nog we've ever had. Our's ages for at least 2-3 months.
Michael Ruhlman posted a long thread/essay on this and it's very interesting. I have read about people aging their eggnong in their garages (this is in a part of the country with relatively stable temps and humidity) for a whole year! Guess what? They haven't died yet. I really want to give this a try.
I have one batch each made from chicken eggs and duck eggs from last year. They are both incredibly good.
I age my eggnog anywhere from 1 - 6 months before serving. After a month, you notice the edge of the alcohol softening and the liquids and solids settling. The nog is still rather thin at this point. After three months, the flavor has deepened and the texture of the nog has thickened to its prime. The oldest nog I have sampled was a 6-month old and it did not seem to have changed much compared to the same 3-month old batch.
A few years ago when we noticed that the leftover eggnog was much tastier the next day, I did some research and have been making a batch to age each year ever since. I try to make it over Thanksgiving weekend each year.
If you're concerned about the raw eggs (I know the chances of contamination are slim, but I still worry), you can buy whole pasteurized eggs.