How Long To Boil An Egg

It is easy to assume that everyone knows how to boil an egg but that is not necessarily true. The first decision to make is what kind of boiled egg you want. There are soft boiled eggs that make a great breakfast food and hard boiled eggs that can be used in any number of ways. They type of egg determines how long it will be boiled.

To boil an egg, you will need:

• Pot with a lid
• Water
• Salt
• Eggs
• Salt
• Timing device

Soft Boiled Eggs

1. To soft boil an egg, fill the pot with water to a level one inch above the egg and bring the water to a boil.
2. Pierce the largest end of each egg with a pin to make a small hole. This will allow pressure inside the shell to be released during cooking to avoid cracking the egg shell.
3. Put the egg in the pot of boiling water. Place the egg on a spoon and carefully lower it into the boiling water.
4. Timing the egg. Once the egg is in the boiling water, start the timer. To soft boil to a runny yoke stage, boil a large egg for four minutes. For a medium soft boiled egg with a slightly runny yoke, boil a large egg for six minutes. When soft boiling small eggs reduce the cooking times by one minute. When cooking extra large eggs, increase the boiling times by a minute. Cool the egg until it can be touched without burning fingers and serve.

Hard Boiled Eggs

1. Fill the pot. Place the eggs in the bottom of the pot and add enough cold water to a level one inch over the eggs.
2. Add salt. Adding salt to the water can make the eggs easier to peel because it helps the egg white separate from the shell during cooking. Add a teaspoon of salt per quart of water.
3. Cover the pot with a lid. Bring the water to a full rolling boil over a high heat. Once the water is at a hard boil, turn off the heat. Keep the pot covered and leave the eggs soaking in the boiled water for 10 minutes.
4. Cooling the eggs. Place the pot in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until they are cool.

Tips:

• The easiest way to peel an egg is to hold it under running water from the faucet as you peel.
• Eggs should be boiled when they are room temperature to avoid cracking the shells during cooking. Remove eggs from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• Overcooking the boiling eggs can give them an unpleasant odor and discolor the shells.