A childhood memory - tidy eggs
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (375155)
Rockingham, Australia
January 19, 2026 8:08pm CST
January 26 is a holiday in Australia as it’s Australia Day. There was some controversy about the name for a few years but that seems to have died down.
We’ll be spending three nights away with friends at their seaside house so we’re looking forward to that. We’ve been getting together regularly with these friends and, if we spend a night away, Vince always cooks the breakfasts. Which led me to a childhood memory of having ‘tidy eggs’. These were poached eggs but cooked in a special poacher. I just looked and you can still get these poachers.
We poach our eggs in a pan of water which Mum would do sometimes but done in the poacher they were much ‘tidier’ hence the name ‘tidy eggs’.
The photo is of a very ‘untidy’ hen.
16 people like this
16 responses
@DaddyEvil (170559)
• United States
20 Jan
I've never heard of "tidy eggs" and haven't eaten poached eggs, either.
3 people like this
@coolimrose (656)
• Australia
21 Jan
What?? Never had poached eggs?? I dont know what to say . I thought every eggitarian has had it at some point. If you can do try them out
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (170559)
• United States
21 Jan
@coolimrose No, I don't think so. Poached eggs are still raw. I won't eat raw eggs.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (375155)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jan
@DaddyEvil I would have said they are just as cooked as fried eggs although I always like both with runny yolks which is perhaps what you might call 'raw'. I'm not suggesting you try them if they don't appeal. 
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@snowy22315 (204876)
• United States
20 Jan
I always eat tidy eggs . Have never poached them without a cup.
3 people like this
@coolimrose (656)
• Australia
20 Jan
A very untidy hen..hahahah..I think she looks beautiful with full, fluffy feathers. I ate a lot of poached eggs in NZ. Just dip eggs in boiling water, but the white separates quite a bit. I never had any mould, so I haven't used them. Where did you see the poachers, in which shop?
@JudyEv (375155)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jan
I think you could buy the pan in any kitchenware shop or department.
@xFiacre (14403)
• Ireland
20 Jan
@judyev My current and persistent eggs memory is of my mother putting eggs in a bowl of water to see if they sank or floated to determine if they were good or bad when the “egg woman” came selling eggs at our house in the bush. She did the same with the eggs our own hens laid and every time I buy eggs in the supermarket that thought comes to mind.
2 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (119437)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
20 Jan
Nice picture of the tidy eggs on this post.
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@Deepizzaguy (119437)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
21 Jan
@JudyEv I hope so as well.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (23468)
•
20 Jan
Pan of water every time Judy, tiny drop of vinegar.
Yvonne has a poacher which does heart shape eggs.
Enjoy the seaside and your 3 nights away.
Does Vince do poached or does he do fried?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (375155)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jan
When we're away with our friends, it's always fried eggs but everyone likes theirs differently. Some want them 'easy over' or 'sunny side up'. One wants hers dried out and flattened and so it goes.
I always put vinegar in the water too when I'm poaching eggs.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (23468)
•
21 Jan
@JudyEv
I would fry themeggs how I like and ask later.
" Easy Over", what does that even mean Judy?
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@JudyEv (375155)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Jan
@Ineeddentures I think it means you turn the egg over. Vince must know what it means or else they're not brave enough to complain.
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@wolfgirl569 (131554)
• Marion, Ohio
20 Jan
Those chickens are funny looking. I got the first egg of the year yesterday
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@wolfgirl569 (131554)
• Marion, Ohio
21 Jan
@JudyEv At least one has started again with the days getting longer
1 person likes this
My son gets some fun gizmos for his work so I am telling him to get a poached egg poacher.
@Traceyjayne (9210)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan
Never heard of tidy eggs ….by coincidence I had a poached egg for my tea …with a fishcake and wilted spinach.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (375155)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Jan
That would have been a nice tea. How did you poach your egg? Just in a pan of boiling water?
@LindaOHio (217094)
• United States
20 Jan
I hope you have a wonderful time with your friends. I don't care for poached eggs.
1 person likes this
@valherma00 (1691)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
21 Jan
i am glad there is no more controversy. good info about tidy eggs. we used to get eggs from my late grandmother but don't remember if she put them in water. i mean, i hope so.
1 person likes this
@valherma00 (1691)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
24 Jan
@JudyEv o, yes, i put them in the fridge asap.
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@JudyEv (375155)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jan
I like them. It's one of my favourite ways to have eggs.
