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how do you boil the perfect egg?

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  • The fresher the egg the longer it takes to cook
    Who I am is not important. What I do is.
  • Kimberley
    Kimberley Posts: 14,871 Forumite
    The fresher the egg the longer it takes to cook

    Mine are as fresh as they can be though :confused: So if you have eggs say a few days away from sell by date, you leave them on less then three minutes?
  • V_Chic_Chick
    V_Chic_Chick Posts: 2,441 Forumite
    I put mine into simmering water, and cook for 4-4.5 minutes, depending on size. It is, however, interesting to learn that apparently the fresher the egg the longer it takes to cook (although I would like to see some scientific evidence of this) as I keep my own chickens for the eggs, so mine really are as fresh as they get.
  • ariba10
    ariba10 Posts: 5,432 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    There is a small plastic device on sale at Lakeland that does the job perfectly £4.99.

    Shall have a look later to see if I can find it in the catalogue.
    I used to be indecisive but now I am not sure.
  • tesuhoha
    tesuhoha Posts: 17,971 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    Since Delia Smith wrote her cookery books the size of eggs have changed. A large egg now is much smaller than it used to be and that is why the timing does not work. I usually put the eggs in cold water and bring to the boil, timing it from when it starts boiling and taking them out on the three minutes. They continue to cook in their shell so by the time you cut them they should be perfectly cooked.
    The forest would be very silent if no birds sang except for the birds that sang the best






  • Skint1
    Skint1 Posts: 1,362 Forumite
    Get the wife to do it. :)
    You can always get more with a kind word and a 2-by-4 than with just a kind word.
  • ariba10
    ariba10 Posts: 5,432 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Skint1 wrote: »
    Get the wife to do it. :)


    I thought a perfect boiled egg was required?
    I used to be indecisive but now I am not sure.
  • Mrs_pbradley936
    Mrs_pbradley936 Posts: 14,571 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I put mine into simmering water, and cook for 4-4.5 minutes, depending on size. It is, however, interesting to learn that apparently the fresher the egg the longer it takes to cook (although I would like to see some scientific evidence of this) as I keep my own chickens for the eggs, so mine really are as fresh as they get.

    I don’t know about scientific evidence but experience tells me that you want new laid eggs for poaching (some of us do not need a poacher and make do with a pan of boiling water) and frying. Older eggs are fine for cooking (as in cakes), boiling or scrambled eggs or omelettes. The reason being that new laid eggs sit high on a jelly like cushion the name of which escapes me. I am sure the nutrition value is similar but it is the aesthetic which is important if you class yourself as any sort of cook. The texture of the yolk has to depend on personal taste but is strongly influenced by the size of the egg.
  • lolarentt
    lolarentt Posts: 1,020 Forumite
    I've always boiled them the way my mother taught me, and it never goes wrong. Saucepan of FAST boiling water - eggs in (not straight from the fridge or they'll crack) - exactly four minutes on fast boil - straight out and serve at once.

    Re the old/new egg thing, where this does make a big difference is with peeling hard boiled eggs - new laid will not peel easily whereas older ones will.
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