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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not boil another egg?

309 replies

iamboudicca · 03/08/2023 08:59

DC2 is 7 and going through both a growth spurt and a very fussy stage.

DC was offered poached or scrambled egg for breakfast. ( which I can reliably make) but I was persuaded to do boiled instead. Then I made it a bit runny… and had the audacity to serve with soldiers made of GRANARY bread! ‘It has bits in it’

DC refused to eat it and wanted something else. I asked DC to eat what I had made… they have left breakfast with nothing and are being extremely grumpy.

I have declined to make another egg… AIBU to think when they are properly hungry they will eat what is on offer…

photo attached of the offending plate…(DC insisted that I take the boiled egg out of the shell - but now doesn’t want it!

To not boil another egg?
OP posts:
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11
Ohjuststopit · 04/08/2023 11:07

@MereDintofPandiculation

They don't go over cooked for me like that. 2 large eggs, 7 minutes.

To not boil another egg?
To not boil another egg?
NamelessNancy · 04/08/2023 11:08

Re timings I think there's some confusion as some start with cold water and time from when comes to the boil and others put the eggs in already boiling water and then time. I can't be bothered to watch water boil so do the second. Eggs from the fridge (I know, I know) boil to runny egg, firm white perfection in six minutes.

Ohjuststopit · 04/08/2023 11:11

@NamelessNancy yes that's right. That's how I do mine I use boiling water from the kettle.

If you bring them to the boil from cold they'll need less time.

JLou08 · 04/08/2023 11:33

I think it depends on the child, my older two got what they were given unless I knew it was something they genuinely didn't like. My youngest has sensory issues (amongst other things, waiting for ASD assessment). Between the ages of one and two he frequently vomited when eating and I do believe he would actually starve before eating something he doesn't like the look of, so for him I will make something else.

MereDintofPandiculation · 04/08/2023 12:19

NamelessNancy · 04/08/2023 11:08

Re timings I think there's some confusion as some start with cold water and time from when comes to the boil and others put the eggs in already boiling water and then time. I can't be bothered to watch water boil so do the second. Eggs from the fridge (I know, I know) boil to runny egg, firm white perfection in six minutes.

They're less likely to crack when put in cold water. So I know when I hear it boil, it's ready.

MereDintofPandiculation · 04/08/2023 12:21

swimminginthesun · 04/08/2023 09:07

Are you using quail’s eggs?! There’s no way a chicken egg would be cooked in that time.

Show quote history

Large chicken's eggs. Works every time for me.

swimminginthesun · 04/08/2023 13:56

MereDintofPandiculation · 04/08/2023 12:21

Large chicken's eggs. Works every time for me.

Show quote history

Well I tried it and I stand (almost) corrected! I admit I am quite cautious with boiled eggs because unset white gives me the ick. But my egg was much more cooked than I expected. The white wasn’t quite set so I think I would want to add another 30-45 seconds on once the water is boiling but that’s personal taste really. I agree 3.5-4 minutes would be far too long for a dippy yolk. I’m pleasantly surprised. And I apologise for my quail egg comment. They would definitely be overcooked using your method! 😂

Mamabear487 · 04/08/2023 13:57

That does not look like a boiled egg taken out of its shell 😂

Koalasparkles · 04/08/2023 14:46

iamboudicca · 03/08/2023 09:22

I’m not quite sure how it went so wrong either. I large egg, water at just below boiling point. Then simmered for 4 and a half minutes. Not sure why it turned out so undercooked. Was trying to not make it hard boiled.

I like doing poached as I can see when they are ready.

Large eggs need longer than that and even longer if they're out of the fridge x

Sammmmmy1512 · 04/08/2023 15:50

I wouldnt be making a second dish of anything, but i also wouldnt of served him that egg! Barely looks cooked

Fairhsa · 05/08/2023 03:33

I would eat that and I was fussy about eggs as a kid. Mum just ignored my fussiness and now i eat most eggs! And I prefer bread not toast for the soldiers too. Keep doing what you are doing (perhaps taking the advice on egg boiling 😂).

Moosethemouse · 05/08/2023 14:19

You’re getting a weirdly hard time here OP, and it seems mumsnet mostly consists of incredibly fussy adults themselves. All this “I wouldn’t eat that” “looks disgusting, wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole”- seriously? It’s an egg. Maybe not perfectly cooked, but cooked ok enough that the flavour will be identical.

I fully stand behind you with refusing to offer anything else, and I really do think that pandering to kids (and adults!) just makes it worse. It’s no wonder there are so many people that turn their noses up at foreign cuisine, unusual tastes or new foods, when they can’t bear the idea of a lightly cooked egg out of its shell (as was asked for by the child!)

Original poster
iamboudicca · 05/08/2023 15:16

@Moosethemouse thank you!

Even as a long standing Mumsnetter I am surprised by the strength of feeling and longevity of this thread! DC1 had moved on from his upset by the time I posted on Thursday morning! (He has also now eaten eggs 2 other ways without a fuss since…).

It might be a while before I am brave enough to do boiled eggs again though…

I thought this might be a light hearted thread but clearly few of the ‘perfect’ cooks in the thread have ever eaten raw/ or lightly cooked egg as it is apparently poisonous?? (chocolate mouse, mayonaise, hollendaise sauce or a wobbly meringue anyone?).

I also find it hard to accept it is cruelty to my child to serve a healthy option and not an ultra processed bit of white sliced crap with huge amounts of fat on it. Calling this out as child abuse is very belittling to anyone facing genuine abuse.

OP posts:
Nellynoowhoareyou · 05/08/2023 18:16

Go on OP 🙌

CherryMaDeara · 05/08/2023 19:06

Ignore them OP, the misery guts are not worth a moment’s thoughts.

ladydoe · 05/08/2023 20:52

I wouldn’t eat that, would end up with salmonella. Not hard to look online to see how to boil an egg. It’s no wonder your child didn’t want to eat it, it’s not even cooked

Gmary22 · 05/08/2023 22:32

If you let children dictate what they will and wil not eat you will end up with a fussy eater who by the time they are in school will only eat jacket potatoe and cheese. I've taught so many kids are like this and it's sad to see them with such restricted diets, it's not good for them at all.

Gmary22 · 05/08/2023 22:39

Water wasn't hot enough, it needs to be actually boiling and then turned down to lightly boiling not simmering and for a large egg it should be at least 6 mins. I was in the font cook him another egg category, as I think doing that under normal circumstances encourages fussy eating, but this egg isn't cooked right, so I would say don't change what's on the menu to appease him, but make him a new egg of the same kind so it's edible 😂

NoThanksymm · 05/08/2023 23:19

Sooooo funny people getting hooked on your egg.

kiddo can get his own breakfast that day and the rest of the week. Or even in charge of breakfast one day on the weekend. Perpetually.

I wouldn’t withhold food. But I wouldn’t force it either. They only make that mistake once.

Walkaround · 06/08/2023 02:21

iamboudicca · 05/08/2023 15:16

@Moosethemouse thank you!

Even as a long standing Mumsnetter I am surprised by the strength of feeling and longevity of this thread! DC1 had moved on from his upset by the time I posted on Thursday morning! (He has also now eaten eggs 2 other ways without a fuss since…).

It might be a while before I am brave enough to do boiled eggs again though…

I thought this might be a light hearted thread but clearly few of the ‘perfect’ cooks in the thread have ever eaten raw/ or lightly cooked egg as it is apparently poisonous?? (chocolate mouse, mayonaise, hollendaise sauce or a wobbly meringue anyone?).

I also find it hard to accept it is cruelty to my child to serve a healthy option and not an ultra processed bit of white sliced crap with huge amounts of fat on it. Calling this out as child abuse is very belittling to anyone facing genuine abuse.

Yes, I know a few people who were hospitalised with severe food poisoning as children after either eating undercooked egg, homemade mayonnaise, or raw egg in cake mixture that they were allowed to lick off the spoon. 😝 Obviously, now 90% of UK produced eggs are from hens vaccinated against salmonella it is considerably less risky than it used to be, but it’s not entirely risk free - there are still cases reported, even in people who ate British Lion mark eggs.

Clymene · 06/08/2023 05:05

I'm not a perfect cook but I wouldn't serve or eat raw egg white. Glad your child hasn't been out off for life

CaptainJackSparrow85 · 06/08/2023 07:50

I’m with you on the bread but if someone (child or otherwise) had asked me to make them a boiled egg I wouldn’t have expected them to eat that.

I’m possibly biased though because I grew up with parents who were truly terrible cooks so I have a lot of experience of being expected to eat absolutely foul, badly cooked food and being branded fussy if I refused.

OnionBhajis · 06/08/2023 08:58

It's not child abuse in the big way but it is really unkind. I'd have ended up going without as like most people wouldn't have eaten it. And as a child even a bit confused why you'd said you'd do one thing and not do it and expect me to eat something really yucky.

I think there's room for kindness and compassion in parenting kids.

zingally · 06/08/2023 09:48

I'm with the DD, if that's the extent of your egg cooking skills, I wouldn't eat it either.

How on earth does a soft boiled egg end up looking like a flabby, over-cooked fried one?

Back to cookery 101 for you OP.

Original poster
iamboudicca · 06/08/2023 09:51

I keep having to repeat myself because clearly people are still posting who haven’t read the whole thread.

the egg was not raw when served. (Although I used proper vaccinated eggs bought in 2023 not 1986 Eggwina) It had been in the microwave for just long enough to firm it up (still not rubbery - I sometimes cook eggs in the microwave and they are fine)

If you are worried about salmonella then you shouldn’t be eating a dippy egg at all. To remove any risk it should be hard boiled through (which I know from past experience DC doesn’t like - hence aiming for a runnier egg.)

The child had breakfast- just not the egg in the way they wanted - for full back story I had already offered him mine… a poached egg - perfectly cooked when he came to the table. He declined and insisted on the now famous boiled egg. I had a go. I failed. I tried to recover the mistake. Yes I can boil an egg but at 7.30 half asleep I messed it up on this occasion.

It wasn’t disgusting. I can say that for certain as I ate the bloody thing rather than waste it. Was a cross between a poached and a coddled egg.

OP posts: