How to boil an egg, you must be kidding. No, I’m not cracking jokes. When it comes to cooking, we all have to start from humble beginnings. (If you were a wiz in the kitchen, you might be familiar with all of the content of this post). By the end of this post, you will learn how to make soft, medium and hard-boiled eggs which you can use to prepare several recipes. Before we get into the post, first look at some cooking methods and how to check if an egg is fresh.
Cooking methods and uses
Eggs are a versatile ingredient and can be used other than in breakfast. The list can go on with ideas and recipes to suit your preferences, from lunches, sauces, lunches, and the various cooking methods. There is a budget-friendly option, and if a dozen eggs are too many for one person, you can share purchasing them with a housemate.
Checking for freshness
When making eggs, such as scrambling or poaching, you want to make sure they are fresh. One way is observing the egg yolk as the yolk should stand high whilst the white part is connected to it cohesively. Another trick is to get a glass of cold water and gently place the egg in the water. If the eggs sink to the bottom of the glass, the egg is fresh and ok to consume. The egg may fall to the bottom but is titled in an upright position; they are suitable for hard boiling.
If the egg floats on top, you want to check the egg by cracking it open and ensuring no foul smells or that the colour does not look off. The egg will float. Eventually, the air pocket inside the egg will become more significant as water is released and then replaced by the air. That is because eggs shells are slightly porous, so over time if eggs are not used, air will enter, resulting in a larger air pocket leading to eggs acting as a buoyancy aid.
While there are many many ways to observe if an egg is fresh, to make things easier, it is best to follow the best before date on the packages and to use it as soon as possible.
Boiling Eggs (Tips and ideas)
While there are many methods of boiling eggs, following one that is simple and less confusing would be useful when making soft or hard boiled eggs. For the most consistent eggs, I prefer to boil the water first.
Troubleshooting
The green ring around the yolk of boiled eggs
Like other foods, rice gets burnt, the meat becomes dry and boiled eggs become discoloured, which is a sign that the eggs were cooked for too long. Because of this, the iron from the yolk reacts with the hydrogen sulphide from the white(albumin), resulting in a greenish-grey colour ring in between the yolk and the albumin. Using water with a high level of iron may also be the culprit
Solution:
- Reduce the time to boil the eggs and immediately run eggs under cold water to prevent them from overcooking.
- Consider using filtered water if you have water containing high levels of iron.
Seasoning ideas
All-purpose seasoning (this can be a secret cook weapon, convenient to have at home if you won’t bump up the flavour of food and is available in all supermarkets). This blend combines salt, pepper, dried garlic, dried onion, dried herbs, and other savoury spices. Try mixing it with paprika and dried or fresh parsley.
- Magic spice belnd by Eric Kim https://food52.com/recipes/80692-6-minute-soft-boiled-egg-with-magic-spice-blend
- Furikake
- Bagel seasoning
- Wholegrain or dijon mustard / fresh thyme
Need ideas for using boiled eggs
Soft-boiled eggs
- Toasite with smashed avo
- Toastie with avo, tomato, mushroom
- avo tomato and egg https://downshiftology.com/recipes/egg-salad/
Hard boiled eggs
- Tiffin eggs
Did you get a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment below or share your photo on Instagram. Dont forget to tag @Thatsaftotastic and use the hashtag #Thatsafrotastic.
Question: Do you prefer soft, hard boiled eggs or both?
Soft/ hard boiled eggs
An easy no fuss method for getting perfectly cooked soft or hardboiled eggs every time. Author by Lisa Bryan
Ingredients
- 1-6 eggs (depending on how many you want to use)
Directions
- Step 1 Using a medium size pot, allow the water to boil. Make sure there is enough water so that it covers the eggs around an inch.
- Step 2 As you are waiting for the water to boil, collect the eggs from the fridge, place them on the counter and prepare an ice water bath using a large bowl.
- Step 3 When the water has reached boiling point, reduce the heat to low. Using a skimmer. add the eggs slowly into the water.
- Step 4 Using a timer cook the eggs for 6-7 for soft boiled eggs and 12 to 14 minutes.
- Step 5 Once the eggs have been cooked about your preferred time, remove the eggs using the skimmer and submerge them in the ice water bath immediately to prevent them from cooking further.
- Step 6 Peel the eggs and enjoy.
Refences and resources
- https://www.australianeggs.org.au/facts-and-tips/tell-if-eggs-are-bad#:~:text=Simply%20fill%20a%20bowl%20with,eggs%20should%20be%20thrown%20out.
- https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_perfect_hard_boiled_eggs/
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/green-rim-hard-boiled-egg_n_6464402
Hello and welcome to That's Afrotastic. My name is Kunle Adegbola and I am a registered Community Development Worker (specialising in people seeking asylum, migrants and refugees) and also have a background in Nutrition and Dietetics.
That's Afrotastic is a welcoming and creative, outlet blog where I document my experiences and journey of cooking, food and appreciating the everyday moments with LOTS of gratitude. 