Despite the outbreak of avian flu in the United States leading to egg shortages and price increases, it has not deterred people from researching the perfect way to cook a boiled egg. So, what are the characteristics of a perfect boiled egg? It must have a soft yolk and tender yet firm whites.
Achieving a balance in the texture of the egg white and yolk can be a challenge as the yolk starts to solidify at 65 degrees Celsius, while the whites begin to set at 85 degrees Celsius. Therefore, when cooking eggs, using high heat can result in the yolk becoming chalky and low heat might lead to the whites resembling jelly and being undercooked.
Researchers boiled hundreds of eggs and ultimately solved this fluid problem using mathematics.
The scientists’ final recipe involves alternating the eggs between two bowls of water every two minutes, one bowl of boiling water and the other at 30 degrees Celsius, for a total of 8 times, equating to 32 minutes, then letting the eggs cool and peel under running water.
The specific steps are as follows: start by boiling a pot of water, place the eggs in the boiling water for 2 minutes, remove them, then place them in water at 30 degrees Celsius for 2 minutes, and continue alternating the eggs between the boiling water and warm water, repeating this cycle 8 times until the “perfectly” boiled egg is achieved.
“You can definitely complete this process at home with around half a dozen eggs.” said Gregory Weiss, a chemist at the University of California, Irvine, to the Associated Press. He was not involved in this research.
In this alternative cooking method by the researchers, the eggs are kept below 67 degrees Celsius to ensure the yolk’s center solidifies but remains creamy, while the whites fully set during the alternating high and low temperature cooking.
To confirm the perfection of the boiled eggs, researchers analyzed the chemical composition of the perfect eggs and had them tasted by 8 individuals alongside traditional boiled eggs.
This research was published last Thursday (February 6) in the journal “Communications Engineering.”
Joanne Slavin, a food scientist at the University of Minnesota, told the Associated Press that compared to traditional boiled eggs, this new method implies that cooking eggs will take more time, but in order to enjoy perfectly textured yolks and whites, it may well be worth it.
“It is a slower process, but yields better results,” Slavin said. She was not involved in the research.