Eggs are an amazing source of nutrients! They’re packed with protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, making them an essential part of a balanced diet. But to truly enjoy all their nutritional benefits, you’ve got to cook them right. Did you know that the way you cook eggs can make a big difference in their taste, texture, and nutritional value?
Cooking eggs is a simple task, but it’s easy to make mistakes that can affect their taste, texture and nutritional value. Hard-boiled eggs are an integral part of Easter meals, sandwiches, salads and holiday treats. To get perfectly cooked eggs, it’s worth knowing a few basic rules and avoiding the most common mistakes that can ruin our culinary efforts.
Why do you need to boil eggs?
Before we get into the details, it’s good to remind ourselves why you should include eggs in your daily diet:
High in protein: Eggs are an excellent source of protein, which is essential for building and regenerating tissues.
Healthy fats: Contains healthy unsaturated fats that lower bad cholesterol.
Vitamins and minerals: They are rich in vitamins A, D, E, K, B vitamins and minerals such as selenium, phosphorus, iron and zinc.
Satiety: The protein and fat content of eggs will help you feel fuller longer.
How long to cook eggs?
How long to cook eggs depends on their size and desired consistency.
Soft-boiled eggs: small eggs – 3.5 minutes, medium eggs – 4.5 minutes, large eggs – 5.5 minutes.
Hard-boiled eggs: small eggs – 8 minutes, medium eggs – 9 minutes, large eggs – 10 minutes.
Cooking for too long leads to the formation of hydrogen sulphide around the yolk, which gives the egg an unpleasant smell and a greenish colour. High temperatures also destroy many valuable vitamins and minerals.
The most common mistakes when cooking eggs
Overcooking: causes loss of nutritional value and an unsightly green ring around the yolk.
Cracked shell. Micro-cracks in the shell can cause egg whites to leak.
Uneven cooking: Too little water in the pan can cause uneven cooking of the egg whites.
How to avoid these mistakes?
Fresh eggs: the fresher the egg, the shorter the cooking time.
Water temperature: Place the eggs in already boiling water.
Even cooking: cook the eggs over a medium heat to avoid sudden boiling.
Cooling:
After boiling, cool the eggs quickly by immersing them in cold water. This stops the cooking process and makes cleaning easier.
Vinegar or lemon juice. Adding acid to the water will help close microcracks in the shell.
