Everyone knows that there is no single way of making your eggs. Everyone has their preferences and tastes. But for those who want to experiment or just want to learn the way from experts, this is the article for you!
The nutritional value of eggs has been the topic of much dispute in the culinary industry. Eggs are a source of rich protein. If you want to eat eggs there is nothing better than boiled eggs. People simply love boiled eggs whether they are children, adults, or health-conscious men and women.
A boiled egg provides excellent nourishment which is always healthier than fried eggs. When heated up at a particular temperature egg proteins break up during cooking, some of the linkages break, and the protein strands split up. The digestibility and absorption of egg proteins will improve in the process.
Eggs are one of the most versatile foods you can have on your menu. It can be used to make deviled egg salad. Or, if you are a stickler for the norm like us, you can just sprinkle a little bit of salt and eat it hard-boiled.
Boiled eggs are a very healthy snack one can have almost every day. They are filled with proteins and have very few calories, something that all health enthusiasts love. You can have eggs every time you are in a fix on what to eat.
So the first way to make your perfect hard-boiled eggs is the traditional way. Get fresh eggs from your local grocery markets. Put the water to a boil, and when the water is at the heat you require, place the eggs inside and let them sit for some time. After you are satisfied with them, take the eggs out and put them inside a bowl of ice water. The shock from suddenly shifting the eggs from high heat to an ice bath will help stop further cooking inside the hard shell.
Now that we have covered the general steps to make the eggs let us go step by step.
How to make it perfect?
Let us get into making!
The first step is to obtain fresh farm eggs. The procedure for boiling eggs is simple and the product is often a delicious mouthwatering egg placed in front of your lips. The cooking time varies depending on the size of the egg and the type of cooktop. You can always manage to adjust the timing depending on your preferences.
Sometimes, when we buy eggs from our local grocery stores or farms, we unknowingly get older eggs. So to differentiate between farm-fresh eggs and older eggs, we can perform a few tests right at home.
It provides only 77 calories 5 gms of fat and a very small amount of carbs. Eggs are also a source of lean protein, the protein content measuring up to 6 grams per egg. They are weight-loss friendly.
Eggs also contain amino acids which are rich in protein. The important nutrients contained in the eggs include vitamin D, zinc, all of the B vitamins, and calcium. They contain both riboflavin (vitamin B2) and B12.
Weight management is an important part of our routine. Obesity can cause heart disease. If you consume eggs then it will improve your eye health.
The easiest one can be to put the egg in a glass of water. If the egg sinks, it is fresh, and if it floats or tilts upwards, consider it an older egg and preferably discard it. This test is called the Float test.
The next one is a test that elders swear by since it is the most convenient test. This test is called the Sniff test. As the word says, take a whiff of the egg and if it gives an unmistakable smell, consider it a rotten egg and discard it as soon as possible.
Of course, all of this will occur after you have checked the expiration date mentioned on the pack of eggs you’ve bought.
Now that we have our -tested- fresh farm eggs let us get to cooking them!
Take a saucepan and fill it about halfway with water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and place your eggs inside.
Make sure not to overcrowd the saucepan, or else the heat will not evenly distribute between the eggs and might overboil some eggs and underboil others. Do not keep a dozen eggs. Keep a maximum of 6 eggs inside at a time.
Also, make sure that the eggs are all fully covered by the hot water while they cook inside.
Now while the eggs are cooking inside, sometimes you might have noticed that eggs have cracked inside and the egg white or yolk leaked out. There is an easy way to prevent this: adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the water while it boils. This is a tried and tested technique by many people. If you do not have Vinegar at home, rest assured, that 1/2 teaspoon of salt works just as well.
Now what differentiates one person’s perfect hard-boiled eggs from any other’s is the time you let the eggs sit inside the hot water. Some prefer to keep the eggs for 12 minutes, some prefer 15 minutes – it all depends on preferences.
The timings of preferences are one thing to keep in mind while making your perfect boiled eggs, but there are other factors to be considered here too. Consider various factors like the saucepan’s shape, thickness, and even the altitude where you reside. Factors like these all contribute to the taste and texture of eggs.
Now there are different results for different times, as shown below.
If you prefer your eggs more on the runny side, keep them in hot water for about 9 to 10 minutes. As your preference changes, so does the time you spend inside. For those who prefer their eggs fully hard-cooked, it is advised to keep them in hot water for at least 12 to 15 minutes and then take them out.
The timings of preferences are one thing to keep in mind while boiling your eggs; the other things to keep in mind are the thickness of the saucepan, the depth and length of the pan you are using, and the heat with which you are boiling your eggs.
So now once you have decided that the eggs are boiled to the required time, you carefully take them out and immediately place them under cold water and let them sit for some time. The water can be ice water, or it can be cold running water; the logic behind this step is that when you place the boiled egg under cold water, it helps to stop the over-cooking of the egg and also makes it easier to peel.
Make sure when you take out the eggs from the cold water, they are hard or normal to touch because if the surface of the egg is hot, it will be difficult to peel.
So now that you have your eggs perfectly cooked to your liking take them out of the cold water, peel the eggs, and eat them to your liking!
Things to keep in mind
1 Don’t use super fresh eggs
Farm-fresh eggs take a long time to peel and the work itself is difficult- it’s a matter of their particular shape. To minimize your sense of disappointment use those straight-from-the-hen eggs for frying and scrambling. For boiling use only slightly older eggs like the ones you buy from the grocery store.
Some people buy cold eggs from the store taken out straight from the fridge for frying and scrambling and eggs from the grocery store for boiling.
2 Drop the eggs into boiling water
If you drop eggs in boiling water it will be easier to peel them than if you put them in cold water. For soy marinated eggs the timing is more precise.
While dropping eggs in hot water you should look to it so that they do not become deflated or lopsided. Lower the eggs using a slotted spoon or spider to gently lower the eggs into hot water.
Let the water simmer gently rather than rolling in the water hitting the pot right away. You can cook eight boiled eggs in a 2-quart saucepan -more than that they might butt heads and crack open.
3 Set a Timer
When you set the eggs to boil having a kitchen timer is a must to avoid those dreaded green rings that might float at the top. You can set your timer on according to your requirements and a 10-minute timer for cooked-through eggs will just make it right for a sumptuous spread for your breakfast.
4 Use an Ice Bath
The timer is of great use if you can use it precisely. After you are done with boiled eggs keep some ice water next to you and transfer them immediately to that bowl. The eggs must lie inside the cold water for 2-3 minutes until the water is cool enough and then take them out.
5 Peel off eggs underwater while they are slightly warm
The pesky shells can slip off easily and you can find the region where there lies an air pocket and you can start peeling the egg from that point. Cold water is always there to wash your eggs and then the shells will peel off easily.
You can store eggs in a fridge in an air-tight container for a period extending to one week.
Tips for Preparing Eggs
- Eggs that have been in the refrigerator for some time are easier to peel. The eggs that are fresh take more time to peel.
- You have to tap an egg on a hard surface and then roll it over. This will loosen the shell of the egg.
- If you want to peel the egg hold the egg under cold water or dip it in a bowl of water to remove the shell.
- The way to find out whether the egg is raw or boiled spin it on a table. If it wobbles while spinning it is a raw egg.
Mistakes to avoid
You should be very careful about the cooking time. A grey ring develops outside the egg and sometimes the saucer gets overcrowded as a result of cooking the eggs. If you like, boil them for eleven minutes, and if you want soft eggs boil them for seven minutes.
Eggs should always be properly boiled. Eggs contain a sulfur-based compound that turns the yoke green and emits a funky smell if it is too hard and boiled for too long.
Why should you eat boiled eggs?
Did you know how many benefits are there of eating even a single hard-boiled egg each day?
Lean proteins
Boiled eggs are filled to the brim with lean proteins and contain so few calories that it is a favorite snack or meal for all the health freaks out there – and for a good reason as well! It works amazing for those who are trying to achieve a healthy body.
Good fats
It contains a lot of good fat which is required by every cell of your body each day, keeping your body healthy for the long run!
Energy filled
They are an energy-packed food item, which in itself is enough to last you a good while. Woke up late and not have time for a full-fledged breakfast? Rest not! Eat one or two eggs and these will keep you going for a good time until your next meal!
Yummy egg salads
Eggs can be used to make amazing egg salads. The yolk hardens when it is boiled, making it easier to smash and incorporate to make egg salads. Add a bit of veggie and a dash of mayonnaise, or any sauce to your liking, and Voila! You have an amazing filling of a sandwich right here.
Good for your heart
Boiled eggs are extremely good for your heart. This small bit of food contains so many good fats and cholesterol that it is recommended by dieticians to those whose cholesterol runs low.
Regulation of Insulin in the blood
This small package of energy also helps in the regulation of insulin in the blood, so helps in preventing chronic diseases like Diabetes!
Helps in increasing muscle mass
Want to make muscles and be the best healthy able-bodied you can be? It can help you so much! If you are on a training schedule and are aiming to build lean muscle mass, then eating eggs is the best solution for you. And it is for a simple reason they are filled with proteins. Proteins are necessary to build muscle mass. Additionally, this energy-packed food also helps our body to have the necessary nutrients it needs to repair the tissues and keep them stable and also to strengthen and keep a hold on the structure of cellular walls.
Good for eyes
Did you know eggs contain a lot of Vitamin A? Yes, that is right! This little energy packet of food contains vitamin A, which is also very good for our eyes!
Good for bones
Another little micronutrient that this miracle food contains is Vitamin D, which is essential in strengthening our bones and supporting us. So if we keep eating even one hard-boiled egg a day, we are getting a good amount of Vitamin D, and it helps to prevent several diseases like Arthritis et cetera.
Low in calories
These miracle foods contain very few calories, so do not feel guilty indulging in these eggs. Maximum to maximum, a good hard-boiled egg contains 80 calories, and that is a good source of energy so eat away!
Frequently Asked Questions
You might say, is it that hard to boil eggs? Well, the answer to that question is both yes and no. If you know the ins and outs of boiling your eggs and your preferences on how to eat them, then boiling an egg will be a walk in the garden for you. But even for the best chefs out there, there are always some frequently asked questions while boiling eggs.
Q1. What is this green ring around my yolk after I boil eggs? Does it mean my eggs are spoilt?
A1. Worry not! A green ring around your yolk does not indicate that your eggs have gone bad or have rot. The simple reason as to why you might have a green circle around your yolk is that you might have overcooked the eggs than you would have liked. Next time remember to decrease the cooking time if you do not want the green circle coming!
Q2. My eggs are cracking while they cook in hot water. How do I prevent that?
A2. Eggs crack under great heat and pressure, and there are many ways in which we can try to prevent this from happening. For some people, adding a pinch of salt into the water whilst cooking prevents the eggs from cracking. Others say that adding a tablespoon of vinegar does the trick with the same effect. Try your method, and do tell us!
Q3. My eggs have cracked. Are they still good enough to eat?
A3. While the eggs have cracked and a bit of egg white or even egg yolk has spilled out from the cracks, they are still cooked from the heat, although by a different method and techniques are safe to eat. However, we will still recommend you discard the leaked part and eat the rest! Or you can do it how you wish! It all depends on preferences.
Q4. My eggs are not peeling as smoothly as I want them to. What do I do?
A4. Sometimes while you are peeling your eggs, indeed you must have gotten some bits and pieces of the egg also coming out with the shell. Do not fret! This and the bits would not change the flavor or texture of your hard-boiled egg, only change its shape a little bit. So if you are okay with the taste while peeling eggs or are planning on mashing the eggs to make some delicious deviled eggs, then these eggs are good to go!
Some interesting facts about Hard-boiled eggs
There are two ways in which people eat boiled eggs; hard-boiled eggs and soft-boiled eggs.
In various countries, people eat their eggs in customized ways. For example;
In Japan, people usually put soft-boiled eggs in their ramen.
In Europe, people prefer their eggs soft-boiled, and they eat them for breakfast, and they eat it while scooping them out of their shells!
In eastern Asia, people eat soft-boiled eggs cracked in a bowl and coupled with soy sauce!
Did you know that there is virtually no difference in taste between a brown egg and a white egg? It is the breed of the chicken which decides the colour of the egg!
Boiled eggs have a good shelf life! If kept with their shell intact, this food can last up to 1 entire week in the refrigerator!
After the invention of pottery came the art of boiling eggs. So considering that the date is way back in history, almost 5000 BC!
People who celebrate Easter have this tradition of painting in vibrant colours, and this system dates back to the 13th century! This is because at that time Church had prohibited the consumption of eggs during the one week called ‘Holy week’, but since chickens continued to lay eggs, people started using them in that way during the Holy Week!
There is a Guinee’s World record for peeling eggs. It was achieved by Silvio Sabba, an individual from Italy who achieved this feat in just 2.66 seconds on 21 August 2012!
Sometimes to check if an egg is raw inside or fully cooked, just spin it! If it spins easily, it means the egg is fully cooked through! If it wobbles it means that there is some portion of the egg inside which is raw.
Did you know that a hen, on average, lays about 300 to 350 eggs a year?
And it takes just about 24 to 32 hours to produce one egg.
As the hen grows, so do her eggs! So that means the bigger the hen, the bigger egg she will lay!
The fastest omelette maker globally had over 427 two-egg omelets made in just 30 minutes. American Egg Board’s Howard Helmer is the Omelet King; he holds three Guinness World Records for omelette making!
Some people think that the egg yolk contains more proteins than egg white or vice versa, but both parts of the egg contain equal amounts of proteins!
As the size of the egg depends on the hen, so does the thickness of the eggshell! As the hen grows, so does the thickness of the shell!
If you buy your eggs based on the colour of the shell, think again! Because the colour of the shell does not affect the nutrition present inside. The change in the colour of eggs like blue brown, or white is simply due to genetics and differences in breeds.
Even if egg yolk and egg white contain the same amount of protein, the yolk does hold several nutritional distinctions from the egg white. Based on that hen’s diet, egg yolks can range in colors—from pale yellow to deep orange to even a bright red.
Why Go Free Range?
Because free-range hens often eat more pigmented, nutritious foods that range from insects to grasses, you will find richer-colored yolks in the eggs. On the other hand, conventional, grain-fed chickens will produce light yellow yolks.
As alarming or surprising it might sound, sometimes you can predict the colour of the egg a hen will lay by looking at her earlobes! In general,
- Chickens with white earlobes generally lay white eggs,
- Chickens with red or brown earlobes lay brown eggs.
No matter what the colour of the egg is at the end, all eggs start as white in the beginning!
So now that you know all you can about get to cooking!
And do share how your journey to hard-boiling your eggs goes!
Eggs are healthy for your body and to prepare them you need a heavy saucepan, with a tight-fitting lid. The heat should never escape from the pot because if it happens then the process of cooking will slow down.
The water that you will use to boil should be there in sufficient quantity, a bigger pot is always better. The eggs will not crack unless the pot is too overcrowded.
It makes your lunch yummy and they will make your egg salad sandwich taste better. Egg devil for your Easter lunch will leave your stomach with an appetite for them.
You can get the eggs to your liking and the process of trial and error might continue for some time till you learn to do the job perfectly. The exact time for boiling eggs that suits your taste buds is something that only you can make out.
Eat out the boiled eggs once you are finished with them if you want to eat them later keep them in your refrigerator. Eggs taste excellent with crackled salt and pepper. Some vinegar can also be poured over the eggs after which you can safely store them.
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
