Did you mix hard-boiled eggs with raw ones in the refrigerator container? Don't panic! At first glance they may all seem the same, but there are, in reality, many small clues that will help you recognize them. Read on, you will learn some simple tricks to distinguish hard-boiled eggs from raw ones and never confuse them again.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Rotation Technique
Step 1. Place the egg on a smooth and flat surface
You won't struggle to find one in the kitchen: you can use a cutting board, worktop or even the sink.
Step 2. Rotate the egg
Grasp it between the thumb and the other fingers of one hand and, with a quick twisting motion of the wrist, give it a certain rotation. The movement you need to do is very similar to the one needed to snap your fingers. The egg should rotate at a constant and regular speed.
Step 3. Lock the rotation quickly
Extend a finger as if you were pointing at something and place it on the rotation fulcrum of the egg. That way you should stop it. As soon as the egg stops moving, remove your finger.
Remember to apply some pressure with your finger to be able to stop the rotation quickly. The egg should stop in about a second
Step 4. Look at the egg
At this point you can notice two behaviors, depending on whether the egg is hard or raw. In detail:
- If the egg stays still, it is hard.
- If the egg continues to rotate or sway slightly, then it is raw. This is due to the fact that the egg white and yolk are semi-liquid and continue to rotate inside the shell. The center of gravity of the egg continues to move following the movement of the liquid content.
Step 5. For a quicker test, watch the egg turn
The verification described above should accurately reveal whether the egg is hard-boiled or not. However, you can also get this information from the simple observation of the egg in rotation, without having to stop it. This solution is very convenient if you have to check several eggs at a time.
- If the egg turns quickly and evenly on the surface, then it is firm because the center of gravity is stable.
- If the egg rotates slowly and mostly tends to sway or it is very difficult to give it a movement, then it is raw. The liquid interior continues to move as the egg turns, constantly changing its center of gravity.
Method 2 of 3: Alternative Tests
Step 1. Shake the egg
Grab one of your fingertips and gently shake it like a maraca. Concentrate on the tactile sensation that the egg gives you.
- If it is a hard-boiled egg, it will be firm and solid as a stone.
- If there is liquid inside the shell, then you will be able to perceive its movement as you shake it.
Step 2. Look at the rows of air bubbles
Put the egg in a pan with very hot water (preferably almost boiling). Observe the subtle flow of bubbles breaking away from the shell. When the test is over, remove the egg from the water, unless you want to boil it.
- If it is a raw egg, then you will see bubbles, as the shell is not yet completely solid but is covered with thousands of small holes that allow air to pass. When you heat the egg, the air inside the shell expands and passes through these holes creating bubbles.
- If it's a hard-boiled egg, you probably won't see any bubbles because all the gas in it has already been expelled during the previous cooking process.
Step 3. Turn on a flashlight and light the egg
Wait until it is night or go to a dark room with an egg and a flashlight. Turn on the latter and place it on the side of the egg. It would be better to use a small flashlight, because it allows you to "trap" all the light between the shell and the edges of the lamp.
- If the egg lights up like a lantern, then it is raw; the internal liquid lets the light through.
- If the egg is black or opaque, then it is hard. The hardened yolk and egg white do not let the light through.
Method 3 of 3: Mark the Boiled Eggs
Step 1. Cook the eggs with the onion skins
If you mark hard-boiled eggs, you won't have to rely on the tests described above to distinguish them from raw ones. A very simple technique consists in adding a few onion peels to the cooking water. Hard-boiled eggs will have a nice beige shell that will make them easily distinguishable from raw ones inside the refrigerator.
- The more onion skins you use, the more intense the color will be. If possible, use 10-12 onion skins to brightly color your eggs.
- Red onions a release a darker color than white or yellow onions.
Step 2. Dye the eggs with food coloring
You can use a regular dye or kits that are sold around Easter to mark the eggs. You can also use a color code: red for hard-boiled eggs, blue for those barzotte, and so on.
If you are cooking eggs in a small pan, you can add a few drops of food coloring and a few teaspoons of vinegar directly into the boiling water. If not, boil the eggs first and, once boiled, leave them to soak in 120 ml of boiling water, 5 ml of vinegar and a few drops of food coloring
Step 3. Write on the shells
This method is certainly not creative and original, but it is practical and quick. Simply boil the eggs as usual, remove them from the water and wait for them to dry. At this point you can draw an identification mark with a marker or pencil. For example you can write an "S", which stands for "hard".
Don't worry about the ink; since you will have to remove the shell to taste the egg, the latter will be perfectly edible
Advice
- Do some research online for helpful tips on dyeing eggs with food coloring.
- It's easier to see the differences when comparing a hard-boiled egg and a raw one while doing these tests. If you have an egg that you know for sure is raw (or cooked) then you can use it as a benchmark.
