Eggs can be difficult to cook, especially when you want to boil them without breaking the shell. If they are cold and come into contact with hot water, they break more easily. They may also shatter when they pile up or settle to the bottom of the pot. To prevent this from happening, you have to handle them gently, boil them slowly, keep an eye on the temperature difference between the egg and the water.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Eggs for Cooking
Step 1. Eggs should be at room temperature before cooking
If you keep them in the refrigerator, it is important to avoid cooking them when they are cold. In fact, the rupture occurs because the gases heat up and expand in the shell. When the pressure is very high, the gases escape breaking the weak points of the shell, which is porous. Before cooking, bringing the eggs to room temperature slows down this process.
If you don't want to wait for the eggs to heat up on their own, try soaking them in hot tap water for a few minutes before cooking
Step 2. If possible, use older eggs
When an egg is fresh, the outer membrane adheres to the shell, while the inner one attaches to the albumen (the white part). Over time, these membranes adhere more to the shell itself.
Step 3. Release the trapped gas to reduce the chances of the eggs breaking
Before dipping an egg, pierce its outermost end with a thumbtack or safety pin. This will allow trapped air bubbles (which are generally responsible for cracking) to escape during boiling.
Step 4. Divide the eggs and place them in a pot or pan
Stack them very gently to avoid cracking. Don't overfill the pot - you should only boil one layer of eggs at a time, without them pressing against each other. If you try to cook too many eggs at one time, some may break due to the weight.
- Determine if the eggs are fresh by placing them in a bowl of salted water. If they sink, they are fresh. If they float, they have probably gone bad.
- Place folded cheesecloth (or cheesecloth) on the bottom of the pot. It will create a cushion for the eggs, so they will be less likely to break.
Step 5. Cover the eggs with cold tap water
Gently fill the pot with at least 3 inches of water. Pour the water towards the sides of the pot, so it doesn't get directly on the eggs. If you can't, hold them steady with one hand - you'll prevent them from moving and breaking.
- Add half a teaspoon of salt to the water. This will make the eggs easier to peel and may even prevent them from breaking. Salt water helps to thicken the egg white faster. Furthermore, if the shell should break during cooking, it allows you to close small leaks.
- Never put eggs directly into a pot of boiling water, otherwise the shells will crack and the contents will spill out (you will end up with poached eggs. If cold eggs come into contact with warm or boiling water, there will be a sharp jump in temperature, which will cause breakage. In addition, cold water helps prevent eggs from overcooking.
Step 6. Add the vinegar to the water
Calculate a teaspoon of vinegar for each egg and pour it directly into the water before lighting the fire. This allows the egg white proteins to coagulate faster to close any cracks that form on the shell. This is a very common problem, especially with rather cold eggs.
- You can also add vinegar as soon as you see an egg crack in the water. You will notice that some white liquid will leak out of the shell. Try to intervene immediately: if you pour in the vinegar as soon as you notice that a crack has formed, the egg should still cook evenly.
- If you don't add the vinegar in time, don't worry. The cracked egg should still cook well, even though it may not look perfect.
- Do not overdo it. If you use too much vinegar, the eggs will take on its taste and smell.
Part 2 of 3: Cook the Eggs
Step 1. Over medium heat, bring the water to a gentle boil
Let it boil slowly, so that the eggs do not break due to sudden changes in temperature. Put a lid on the pot. The water will boil a little faster, but avoid it if you want to keep an eye on the eggs.
Make sure the eggs don't settle to the bottom, where they will cook less evenly and break more easily. Flip the water every time they start to settle down. Use a wooden ladle and proceed with extreme care, so as not to break them
Step 2. When the water is at full boiling, turn off the heat
Leave the eggs in the pot and put the lid on. The residual heat emanating from the water and the stove will be enough to finish cooking. Leave the eggs in the pot for another 3-15 minutes, depending on the result you want:
- If you like soft-boiled eggs, take them out of the water after 3 minutes. The egg white should have thickened, while the yolk will be liquid and warm. Remove them from the water very gently: use a large spoon to prevent them from breaking.
- If you want an intermediate result, take them out of the water after 5-7 minutes. The yolk should be partially soft in the center, while the egg white is very dense. You should still handle them gently, but they are more likely to break.
- If you like hard-boiled eggs, leave them in the hot water for 9-12 minutes. The yolk should be completely thick. At this point, don't worry about them breaking. If you want a firm, but at the same time soft and bright colored yolk, leave them in the water for 9-10 minutes. If you prefer a harder, lighter yolk, allow 11-12 minutes.
Step 3. Keep an eye on the clock and don't let the eggs overcook
After 12 minutes, the yolk will develop grayish or greenish streaks. The egg will still be edible and this change will not affect the taste too much. However, some find eggs with green and gray stripes less appetizing. You could buy a special timer that changes color - it's a heat-sensitive indicator that you can put into the water while cooking. You can find it online or in stores that sell household items.
Step 4. Find out when it is safe to eat a cracked egg
If it breaks in the water while cooking, there should be no problem. In fact, if the split isn't too big, it should cook normally. If it breaks before you start cooking it, avoid boiling it directly. Bacteria may have penetrated the shell and infected the inside, making it potentially dangerous to your health.
Part 3 of 3: Chilling, Peeling and Storing the Eggs
Step 1. While the eggs are cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water
Dissolve 1-2 grams of salt in the water, then add ice to lower the temperature even more. When cooked, carefully move them into the bowl to prevent them from cooking further.
Step 2. Allow the eggs to cool to stop the cooking process
Once they are cooked for as long as you want, gently drain the hot water from the pot, then move them to the bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Take them one at a time with a skimmer to prevent them from breaking. Carefully move them into the ice water container to lower the temperature. Let them cool for 2-5 minutes.
Step 3. Store them in the refrigerator or serve them immediately
Once they are cool enough to hold them, refrigerate them for 20-30 minutes to soften the shells. If you don't have any particular needs regarding the appearance of the eggs or want to eat them hot, you can skip this part and start shelling them immediately after cooling them.
Step 4. Make sure the eggs are cooked well
Spin an egg on the table to see if it is firm, without opening it. If it turns quickly and easily, it's ready. If it wobbles, let it cook longer.
Step 5. Peel the eggs when you want to eat them
Press an egg onto a flat, clean surface, then rotate it under your hand to break the shell. Start peeling from the wider end of the egg, where there should be a small gap under the shell. This makes it a little easier to peel.
- Rinse the eggs with cold water while you peel them. This will prevent shell and membrane particles from sticking to the egg.
- Eggs are usually easier to peel once they are broken. Move them back into the pot and put the lid on. Shake it back and forth to crack the shells before you start peeling them. It may be necessary to repeat the process several times to break them all.
Step 6. Use a teaspoon to keep the egg white intact while you peel an egg
Peel off a small piece of shell and membrane from the wider end. Insert the teaspoon inside the shell and membrane, so that the concave part is facing the egg. Delete another piece. Proceeding in this way, gradually insert the teaspoon under the shell to detach one piece at a time.
Step 7. Store the eggs in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
You can eat them as soon as you peel them. Store leftovers in an airtight container, but cover them with wet kitchen paper first. Change it every day to prevent them from drying out. Eat the eggs within 4 to 5 days, before they go bad.
- You can also store them in cold water. Change it every day to prevent them from breaking.
- You can store hard-boiled eggs for several days before breaking and peeling them. However, keep in mind that they tend to become slightly dry and chewy. It is usually better to put the peeled eggs in the refrigerator than to leave them with the shell.
Advice
- Extra-large eggs need to be cooked a little longer than large ones. Add about 3 minutes to the cooking time, depending on the size of the egg. For example, it can take 15 minutes to cook an extra-large hard-boiled egg.
- If you are using white eggs, put some onion peel (the brown dry part) in the water while cooking. This will lightly color the eggs brown, so you'll be able to distinguish between cooked and uncooked eggs in no time. It can be especially useful if you keep them all together.
