to ask a stupid question about eggs?

[PlayingHouse]

If an egg cracks when placed in boiling water (to hard boil it) do you have to throw it away?

Can it be turned into something else?

I hate the waste.

cold eggs in cold water.
bring to boil + 3 min = perfect for toast soldiers

• 6 min hard boiled

I have one of these as I kept putting eggs on to boil but not watching to see when the water started boiling. I never knew when to take them out. This is much easier as the alarm goes off when the eggs are ready :)

Hard boiled eggs left in their shell will last up to one week in the fridge x

A random egg fact - eggshells are slightly porous, which allows air into the egg which makes it go off. If you rub oil into the eggshell the egg doesn't go bad as fast.

pastamancer I really like the look of those things, I might get one!

Oh wow.not one of you add salt to egg water?
Stops the egg coming out if the shell cracks

Oh and you prick the rounded end of the egg, not the pointy one. The rounded end is the one with the little air pocket.

Playinghouse don't feel bad about asking egg questions ! How else do we learn ? My mum was a crap cook - bless her - apart from Yorkshire puddings , and I had to learn pretty much from scratch - am still learning x

partialderivative - personally, that was a

No need to buy an egg pricker - get a pin and jiggle it at the rounded end until you ease through the shell. Don't go through hard and fast or you'll pierce the membrane. For a large egg put it straight into the boiling water and cook for 4 mins for soft and longer for hard boiled. You'll see a stream of bubbles leaving through your little hole.

I have an egg cooker which I am slightly embarrassed about but I love it!

Just put the eggs in the pan of cold water, then bring to the boil - no cracking. If it does crack it's harmless. But I don't like it when some of the egg escapes.

Eggs are a bit weird. I love them but also find them quite freaky. I knew someone who would freeze eggs then peel them (while still frozen) and leave to thaw in a bowl. A frozen raw peeled egg is a peculiar sight.

I make shit eggs

I should probably ask more egg questions!

I make poached eggs in mugs in the microwave and eat them on buttered toast. It's my favourite meal at the moment.

Dp makes all egg related foods like scambled, fried etc.. Mine taste rubbish

I'm of the opinion that if you don't know something you should always ask. We're not born knowing everything and if no-one ever taught/told us things then how else are we to know unless we ask?

When I went to uni I rang my sister to ask how to scramble eggs. The piss taking I got really embarrassed me. I'd never seen it made, never been told and I'd never thought to ask until then. Didn't see the problem myself.

Anyway now you know OP. Enjoy your eggs.

Smiles what size eggs and howling do you cook them for, I never get them right!

If you put salt in the water it's supposed to stop the instead leaking out.

when i were a lass, we called the bit that came out of the egg if it cracked a noorlie. We used to fight over who got the egg with the noorlie.

No question is stupid.

My daughter can now make fluffy scrambled eggs like I do. Without my help.

I just use a safety pin to prick a hole in the blunt end. It pierces the air sac so when the egg expands it can just push the air out, rather than crack.

My mum told me to put a spoon into the water before adding the eggs to stop them cracking. Don't know where she heard this but its worked for me since!

Purpleball, I use three medium-large eggs in three of those big white cheapy standard mugs, mostly filled with warm-hot water (to speed the process) once the eggs are in (though I don't put the eggs in before the water, IYSWIM). I then put them all in for a total of about 4.5-5 mins, though I'm suspicious of our microwave and think most would require less time.

In the last minute or so I'll pause and take one mug out, and peer in. If I can see any uncooked white around the yolk, I'll put it straight back in, maybe add 30 seconds to the dial if it's at that stage. If no visibly uncooked egg, I'll gently try to lift the egg with two teaspoons. If it all seems a bit too wobbly, so the white starts falling off the yolk, I'll go into reverse quite quickly and stick it all back in for the remaining time.

If you use the same temp. water and the same amount in the same mugs each time, you get used to what to look for (mostly). The worst thing is thinking the egg is slightly more together/stable than it is, and accidentally puncturing the yolk in the cup because of it. That's the only real time it's a write-off. I also limit lifting attempts to one per cup unless I'm sure it's ready, because it disturbs the white and I'll never get most of it out of the cup at the end if it has solidified in a diffuse mass. The yolk is the best bit though so it's not the end of the world if that happens.

Did you know you can boil eggs in a steamer? My favourite way at the moment!

Thanks very much. I've tried them in a mug before but never with water too and they've always exploded or been rubbery.

I got poach pods but they are a bit of a faff. Also tried those poachet things more faff and mess. I can do it in a pan of water but even more faff and mess.

I'm going to try your method though

I put a shelled boiled egg in one of those ziplock "baggies" with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. It's really nice the next day at work. You could even try some different spices?