Chef Ted  EGG   page

How to Hard Boil an Egg 1. Choose a pan just large enough to fit the number of eggs you'd like to cook or a bit larger. Don't forget that layers of eggs stacked in a pot will cook unevenly. 2. Lay the eggs gently into the pot, and cover with about an inch of water. This will insure that they will have enough water to cover them even after boiling for a while. Make sure the eggs go into cold water and then heat them up. Don't place in already hot water. 3. Boil: Place the pot on high heat. Bring it to a rapid boil. Some stoves may bring it to boiling to fast and crack the shell so be carful. Stir occasionally in order to prevent a yellow mark from forming on the bottom of the eggs where they get to hot. I find that it really doesn't matter how vigorous it boils as long as it doesn't boil over or run out of water.

	OPTIONAL: You can immediately remove it or just turn the burner off and cover as they will probably remain hot enough to finish cooking. This way you'll never get the unsightly (although harmless) gray-green coating on the surface of the cooked yolk, which sometimes results when eggs are cooked at excessively high temperatures. OPTIONAL: You may add salt, as in a heaping teaspoon or two to increase the boiling temperature. This is almost a must at higher elevations. I find that this is usually unnecessary. OPTIONAL: You may add a couple of ounces of vinegar as it will soften the shell and will not penetrate it to change its flavor. 4. Set a timer, or note the time, and let the pot stand (with the lid on) or boil for 20 minutes. They may go as long as 30 without any problem. 5. Cold Rinse. This will stop the eggs from cooking by their own heat, and will also help with pealing. Plunge them into cold water for about 30 seconds or just long enough to make them handleable. The cold shell and the steaming egg inside will make peeling easy. 6.Peeling. Then take the egg in your hands and roll it back and forth in your palms. Peeling the egg should now be a cinch or gently but firmly break an egg against the surface of the sink or counter top, rotate the egg in your hands, and again crack the egg against a hard surface. Repeat until you've cracked the egg several times, all over its surface. Now the shell will virtually fall off by rubbing. OPTIONAL: If you just put the egg, shell and all, in the refrigerator and peal as needed it will work almost as well. Storage: Having peeled the eggs, you can store them in a refrigerator for up to five days. For a fresh storage tip, let the eggs soak in an inch or two of cold water--they'll keep for five days. Egg check: If any eggs have large cracks, discard them. Cracked eggs may have begun to spoil, and eating spoiled eggs can make you very, very sick.
	MORE EGG TIPS: Soft-boiled eggs require careful timing. The recommended range of times is between three and four and a half minutes. Experiment with a batch: take an egg out at three minutes, at three and a half minutes, four minutes, etc. Egg whites won't run while boiling or poaching if you add a little vinegar to the water. When you separate eggs, break them into a funnel. The whites will go through and leave the yellow intact in the funnel. If you want to save your egg yolks after separating, preserve them by putting them in a small bowl and add two tablespoons of salad oil. Cover and refrigerate. The yolks will remain soft and fresh. After beating egg whites do not tap the beater on the bowl. It causes the egg whites to lose a lot of their fluffiness. A thoroughly washed and rinsed tuna can with both ends removed makes a perfect mold for a poached egg. Fresh? To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, throw it away. This is due to bacterial gases in the shell. Fresh eggs' shells are rough and chalky; old eggs are smooth and shiny. To determine whether an egg is hard-boiled, spin it. If it spins, it is hard-boiled; if it wobbles and will not spin it is raw. (Next time write the date or at lest put an X on the eggs you Hard Boil) Egg whites won't run while boiling or poaching if you'll add a little vinegar to the water. Eggs will beat up fluffier if they are allowed to come to cool room temperature before beating. For baking, it's best to use medium to large eggs; extra large eggs may cause cakes to fall when cooled. Egg shells can be easily removed from hard-boiled eggs if they are quickly rinsed in cold water first. For fluffier omelets, add a pinch of cornstarch before beating. Store in original box in back of refrigerator. Due to warm air exposure when the door is opened many experts believe they keep better in toward the back of the frig. Organic Eggs? Due to many chickens being feed a variety of hormones and chemicals to increase egg production some now certify that their chickens are "drug free".  One of my concerns is the old ground-up dead meats that are "unfit" for human consumption that they mix in their feed. This is how "Mad Cow" started and is a common practice for many price conscious farms.