Why did people in the 80s prick their eggs before boiling them?

[PuffyFluffin]

I was talking to DH and he reminded me about eggs prickers people used to have. I'd completely forgotten about them, but we always had to prick the base of the egg or it would apparently crack while it was boiling. Hilariously, I grew up on another continent and it was also a thing there, so clearly was of vital importance!

Why don't we need to do this anymore? Have eggs changed?

@GrumpyPanda I absolutely need one of those egg topper things!!! A lot more than I need an egg pricker

I find it hard to believe that all you egg boilers have never had an egg crack.

If eggs are not absolutely fresh I test them, if they need pricking I prick them with my egg pricker.

Its not an 80s thing btw.

Didn't know this was a thing.

So there appears to be a fairly even split of people who've never heard of this, and those who still do it and swear by it (with the odd one or two like me who recall this from childhood). I might branch out and start keeping my eggs out of the fridge though, since it would appear that I'm a freak in that respect!

I don't prick them but they do explode quite often as I take them directly from the fridge. (Yes, I know they don't need to be in the fridge but I don't have space on the worktop.)

Brussel sprouts crosses - yes
Salt over the shoulder- always
Witch boat destruction - I'd forgotten about this. 😬 I shudder to think how many witches I have been supplying with boats. Sorry.

So I bought an egg boiler machine from LIDL - best £9.99 I've ever spent - can do perfect up to 6 boiled eggs soft or hard or combination of within minutes - anyway that comes with a needle to prick the eggs with so it's definitely still a thing!

I will never fail to be astonished at all the different MN ways of cooking eggs.

For soft-boiled I have always
1 put eggs in cold water
2 bring to boil (to when bubbles start to rise)
3 lower heat for 2-2.5 minutes depending on egg size
4 run under cold water
5 serve with soldiers - toasted and buttered during the 2.5 mins

In the 80s it was to release any trapped spirit of Edwina Currie

Did they?! 60. Never pricked an egg.

I never managed to puerce the egg without cracking it. The old fashioned way of starting with cold water works.

We used to

But now I do boiled eggs like thus

Use cold, in-the-shell eggs right out of the fridge.
Put eggs in a large saucepan; fill pan with cool tap water so that eggs are covered with water by 1 inch.
Bring to a full simmer over high heat — not yet a rolling boil.
Start timing at full simmer (many large bubbles in pan). Cook for 1 minute. (The water will probably come to a rolling boil in that minute).
Cover, remove pan from heat, and set aside for 4 minutes for a slightly gelatinous yolk, 5 minutes for a firmer set, or 6 minutes for a very hard set.
Drain and cool eggs slightly with running tap water.
Peel eggs while warm. (Cold hard-cooked eggs will not peel properly).
Roll eggs one by one under your palm along a hard surface to crack shells a bit.
If desired, peel under running water to help get some of the shell off.

Exactly the same here! I just acquired a cooker like that, too. Never heard of them before. Mum always boiled eggs in a saucepan and never pierced them.

Irony is that I pierced the eggs with my cooker and one of them cracked anyway.

Omg this is my routine with cold water except;
I let boil for three minutes after the water starts to boil.
Turn off and let sit in hot water for another five minutes.
Transfer to cold water for two mins.

Gives me a soft boiled egg. I adjust timings in accordance with whoever is eating the egg.

I time it from when the cold water starts to boil. For soft boiled eggs, I turn down heat slightly and boil for an extra 3 mins, then turn off heat. Leave in hot water for 4 mins and transfer to cold water. I add an extra min depending on who's eating it and if they like if mid or hard boiled.

Put egg in airfryer on 150 for 7:30 for soft boiled and 9:00 for hardboiled.

Haven't used an egg pricker for years but do use the egg topping gadget.