Boiling eggs is the most common way to eat eggs in daily life. It not only preserves the nutritional value of the eggs but is also very convenient to eat. However, we all know that when steaming fish or vegetables, we put them in the pot with hot water. So, is it better to put eggs in the pot with hot water or cold water?
Boiling eggs with hot water or cold water?
Actually, boiling eggs is not that complicated. Both hot and cold water are fine. However, if you put eggs in the pot with hot water, the shells are more likely to break. If you want to eat a whole egg, it's best to put them in with cold water.
The correct way to boil eggs: After washing the eggs, soak them in a pot of water for one minute, then bring to a boil over low heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Be careful not to boil for too long, otherwise, the ferrous ions in the yolk will react chemically with sulfide ions to form a brown precipitate of ferrous sulfide, which hinders the body's absorption of iron.
What is the best time to boil eggs?
There are many people who like to eat soft-boiled eggs in life, but in recent years, there have been more and more negative reports about them. This is because eggs can easily be contaminated with Salmonella from chicken droppings, and if the yolk is not fully cooked, this bacteria can be directly transferred to the human body. Therefore, eggs must be fully cooked before eating.
Researchers have compared and recorded the boiling times for eggs. When an egg is boiled for 6 minutes, it is perfectly a soft-boiled egg. At this point, the anti-nutrients in the egg (avidin, trypsin inhibitor) are destroyed, and nutrients are retained to the maximum extent. However, it may not be sufficient to kill Salmonella, so it is not recommended for the elderly and children with weaker gastrointestinal functions.
When the boiling time is extended to 8 minutes, the egg white is set, and the yolk is slightly set without being runny, with a golden color. The eggs at this stage have a great texture, complete nutrition, and high safety, making it the best choice.
When the egg is boiled for more than 8 minutes, the protein gradually denatures, the texture continues to decline, and nutritional loss increases. It can even produce a black film of ferrous sulfide that is unhealthy.
Therefore, the optimal boiling time for an egg is 8 minutes.