Mayonnaise, tiramisu, homemade ice cream, and some creams use eggs without cooking them; the safest approach for these recipes is to buy pasteurized eggs. If you cannot find them, heat the eggs with the recipe’s sweetened liquid to 71°C / 160°F and hold the mixture at that temperature. It is not possible to pasteurize shell eggs safely at home; a method whose temperature cannot be measured does not ensure safety.
Some recipes use eggs without cooking them: homemade mayonnaise, tiramisu cream, no-cook ice cream base, and some mousse and meringue mixtures. In these recipes, eggs provide both texture and flavor, so they cannot simply be left out. An egg that looks fresh on the outside and is still within its date may still carry Salmonella; the bacteria are usually found on the shell surface but may also be inside. Appearance, smell, and a clean shell provide no information at all about this. The decision therefore depends on which product you use, not on how the egg looks.
The simplest solution is to use pasteurized eggs. They are sold in shell or liquid form and have undergone a controlled heat treatment during production; they are processed without coagulating the egg or changing its flavor and texture. They work the same way when used raw in a recipe. In grocery stores, they are most often available as liquid egg whites and yolks; the label clearly states that they are pasteurized. If it does not say so, do not consider the product pasteurized or use it raw. The package also states how long a liquid product can be kept after opening; do not extend that time.
If pasteurized eggs are unavailable, the second option is to use the sugar in the recipe. Boil sugar and water to make a syrup, pour it in a thin stream into the eggs while beating, and monitor the mixture’s temperature with a thermometer as you continue beating; the target is 71°C / 160°F, and the mixture is held briefly at that temperature. Constant beating is essential, or the eggs will coagulate. This method can be used for mayonnaise and custards, but it does not suit every recipe. Do not try this method without a thermometer, because you cannot measure whether the target temperature has been reached and held.
Trying to pasteurize shell eggs at home is not recommended. Hot-water methods circulating online require a very narrow temperature range: a few °C lower and the treatment is incomplete; a few °C higher and the egg cooks, making it unsuitable for the recipe. It is not possible to keep that range steady on a home stove, and there is no way to measure the result. A method whose temperature cannot be measured does not ensure safety; make the recipe with either pasteurized eggs or a heated mixture. You cannot tell from the outside how much an egg has warmed while sitting in hot water.
The rest of the preparation is part of the same safety routine. When cracking eggs, keep the shells from touching the mixture, discard the shells immediately, and wash your hands with soap. Clean the bowl, whisk, and counter with hot, soapy water. Keep the prepared mixture refrigerated and use it soon; do not leave it at the table for more than 2 hours. Do not make these recipes without pasteurized eggs for a meal served to pregnant people, older adults, young children, or people with weakened immune systems. A metal or glass bowl is also much easier to wash.