Before boiling an egg, there are a few rules that should be kept in mind. They include never boiling eggs under a very low temperature if they were under refrigeration because they will crack after contact with hot water. The use of a kitchen timer is imperative and one should not depend on guess work or memory. Eggs should never be over-boiled because this leads to the yolk turning blackish while the texture becomes rubbery. For very fresh eggs, an additional 30 seconds should be allowed per timing.

It is recommendable to use saucepans to boil eggs because this guarantees that they do not roll around hence avoiding cracking. Boiling eggs requires water that is simmering gently rather than that which is boiling quite fast. This is mainly because of the collection of air on an egg pocket located on its wide end during the boiling process. This eventually leads to pressure buildup which causes cracking. To counter this, a pinprick is used on the rounded exterior of the shell to ensure the steam is freed.

Soft-boiling eggs require the availability of a saucepan which should contain adequate simmering water just enough to ensure coverage of the eggs by ” inch. Lowering of the eggs into the bubbling water should be quite gently and a tablespoon should be used for this purpose. The timer can henceforth be set and the eggs permitted to simmer for a minute before moving the pan and changing the setting of the timer. When set for six minutes a soft yolk and a wobbly white is produced, while seven minutes produces a white that is entirely set and a firmer yolk.

Peeling eggs that are hard-boiled is a sensitive and tricky process and this is more so when they are boiled while very fresh. The eggs to be used require to have lasted at least five days old before they were last packed. The saucepan where the eggs require to be placed should contain sufficient cold water which should cover the eggs by at least ” inch.

After the water is brought to a point of simmering, the timer should be set to either six or seven minutes depending on whether they are required completely cooked. Running cold water should be used to rapidly cool the eggs and this process should take relatively one minute. They should be left in cold water for around two minutes.

Tags : Cooking
Categories : Cooking Tips