It would seem that in such a trivial process as cooking eggs already said everything that is possible, not just one article was written and the ideal result should be obtained in every kitchen as something self-evident. However, we do not periodically get to the desired degree of readiness, welded eggs are poorly cleaned, the protein darkens, and the yolk crumbles. With what it can be connected?
In fact, the secret is simple. Like any process in the kitchen, cooking eggs is a controlled chemical reaction. You just need to know how it works and what to expect from it at every stage. Our guide will help in this, and bring your results closer to the reference ones.
- How important is the shelf life -
The age of eggs can play a role for taste, but only if the eggs are very fresh, that is, they literally a day or two. In other cases, this factor is no longer of fundamental importance.However, do not rush to think that the date of production, which is indicated on the package, means exactly the date of the appearance of the egg to light. From this process to packaging can take a week or even more. That's why, if it's not about farm products with a known production date, you probably will not get a really fresh product.On the other hand, in the usual conditions of the refrigerator, the shelf life of eggs can be up to one and a half months. Therefore, a week of them or a month is practically irrelevant for taste.
- How best to cook -
In the case of cooking eggs, the key factor is their further cleaning from the shell. In order for this to happen better - cooking should begin with a hot temperature. It does not matter whether you throw them into boiling water or cook for a couple - the main thing is that the start point at once was hot.
- How many minutes you need to cook -
In childhood we were all taught that cooked eggs have 3 degrees of cooking: soft-boiled, in a bag and hard-boiled. In fact, there are much more variations: we counted 8. Our visual visualization will help to get a much more predictable result.
- How does the chemistry of eggs change when heated -
Protein:
0-60 degrees. The protein inside the egg begins to change structure. This process is called denaturation.
60 degrees. Parts of the protein begin to aggregate into larger formations, creating a semblance of an external matrix with a gelatinous texture.
67 degrees. Protein ovotransferrin forms an opaque solidifying structure. As the temperature inside the egg increases, this layer becomes thicker, strengthening from the walls.
80 degrees. The protein strengthens, taking its usual form.
More than 80 degrees. The rise in temperature strengthens the bonds inside the protein and it dries up, making the egg more dense. In parallel with this, chemical reactions start inside the protein and it begins to emit a faint smell of hydrogen sulfide. The protein starts to get dark.
Egg yolk has a different set of temperature thresholds:
62 degrees. The yolk begins to thicken.
70 degrees. It becomes completely solid, but still remains bright orange and shiny.
75 degrees. The yolk loses its color, becoming pale yellow and friable. pale yellow and start to turn crumbly.
With prolonged exposure to temperatures of more than 75 degrees, the yolk dries.Sulfur in the protein reacts quickly with iron in the yolk, creating iron sulphide.
- Perfect cooking -
How, after all, is it better to cook eggs to get maximum taste without the inconvenience of cleaning and loss of appearance? Our recipe is this. Throw eggs in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cook at 80-85 degrees to the desired result. And do not forget to put them in cold water.
