Can't boil an egg?
By oldchem1
@oldchem1 (8132)
June 24, 2010 3:15am CST
I don't know about the other countries of th world but in England if someone is a poor cook they are often heard to say “ I can’t boil an egg!!”
Now I love nothing more than a lovely soft boiled egg with toast 'soldiers' to dip in it,and really boiling an egg is simple once you have mastered the basics.
When you think of it a boiled egg is a little wonder, it is quick and easy to cook, fairly inexpensive and easily obtained, it contains just 70 calories and is full of protein.
We did go through a period of thinking we should limit eggs because of the cholesterol in the egg yolks, but newer research has found that eggs actually raise the good cholesterol that our bodies need.
So 'Can you boil an egg'?
If you think you can't it is really very easy simply place the egg in a small pan. Cover with at least 2.5cm (1") of cold water, add a pinch of salt and place the pan on a high heat. When the water is almost boiling, gently stir the egg and set a kitchen timer for one of the timings below:
3 minutes for really soft boiled yolk and set white
4 minutes for slightly set yolk and set white
5 minutes for firmer yolk and white
6 minutes for hard boiled with lightly soft yolk
7 minutes for firmly hard boiled
Reduce heat slightly to keep water bubbling but not fast boiling and stir the egg once more. Once cooking time is complete, remove the egg from the pan with slotted spoon, place into egg cup and serve immediately.
Go on you know you want one now!!
3 people like this
12 responses
@mario_stevens (6971)
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
no, i can't boil an egg. and i'm sure i'm the only one in the world who can't boil water too.....it always gets burnt 
1 person likes this
@mario_stevens (6971)
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
oh, he will do better........eventually 
2 people like this
@Jstewart (167)
• United States
24 Jun 10
I've always called it poaching but yeah they are great on toast, I always splash a little hot sauce on mine as well. I vary my times depending on the altitude given that im below sea-level now and when I am up north I am way above sea-level. Pain in the rear. thankfully eggs are cheap and wasting one on a time check does'nt stress me too much. Thanks for the discussion, 'cause I have not done this in awhile and now I am in the mood for it... I'll be doing it for lunch.
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
•
24 Jun 10
Oh Oldchem, I love dippy eggs and although don't class myself as a good cook that is one thing I can do to perfection. I quiteoften have for my lunch, my son son prefers scrambled though so will do that for him and cheat anduse microwave rather than make in the pan. Huggles. Ellie :D
@snowqueen200802 (1463)
• United States
24 Jun 10
I love to b0il my eggs soft boiled so I can dip my toast into the yoke.
Take care
Snow
@snowqueen200802 (1463)
• United States
24 Jun 10
That's
Thanks for responding back to me and I enjoyed joining in on this discussion.
Take care
Snow
Thanks for responding back to me and I enjoyed joining in on this discussion.
Take care
Snow
@karen1969 (1779)
•
24 Jun 10
I tend to boil an egg for 8-10 minutes to ensure they are cooked properly. I'm probably being over-cautious. I hate it when the white is runny though.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
25 Jun 10
When I was growing up we always boiled the eggs for 5 minutes for soft yolk, 10 for hard so you're not alone. 
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
25 Jun 10
I like to hard-boil my eggs, then mash them with a fork and mix with butter, salt and pepper. YUMMY!!! 
OMY...now I'm getting hungry!
OMY...now I'm getting hungry! 
@Annina (67)
• Czech Republic
24 Jun 10
Put into boiling water and cook raw eggs on the lighter flame to bursting in addition to dimming the flame can be a bit of salt vodu3-4 minutes.White should be struck down in a stiffer material, but the yolk should remain semi-liquid. Thus prepared eggs are served either in the shell or in the glass known egg in glass. If we want to reach egg-boiled eggs cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
Enjoy your meal.
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
25 Jun 10
lol...this reminds me of a home economics class I took in high school. I remember the teacher giving us a test that had the question, "Why don't we boil eggs?" or something to that effect. The correct answer was that we cooked our eggs, not boil them, by bringing the water to a boil, then turning off the heat from under the pan. The boiling water would cook the egg to perfection as it cooled. I had to be a smart aleck, though, and put down the answer, "because eggs don't boil, they coagulate!"
@STELLA_FENG (4)
• Japan
25 Jun 10
Boiling egg is a common but intresting thing!
Some people think boiling an egg is very easy thing, but the eggs they boiled aren't tasted well, including me!hi~hi~hi~
My mom always boils an egg when I 'm at home. She told me I must put the egg into the pan when the water boiled or it won't be boiled well.
I don't know why you put some salt in the pan. Does the salt will make some changes to the egg? In china, we don't put salt when we boil an egg.
I like eat eggs , and I remember the fist food I can do is cooking eggs with tomatoes! and now , I can do a lot of food.
@eandm9000 (12)
• United States
25 Jun 10
I don't undestand the point to this but you're rigt I do want one
