Cooking Basics :: Eggs

October 10, 2020

Cooking. It’s my jam. It’s my happy place. It’s where I work through thinks. It is also where I create a lot of mess (at least my husband thinks so). I haven’t quite mastered the art of cleaning up as you go. I have also struggled with sharing my space/time with my family because it is just that to me. But I know the time is coming when I will need to share it to teach my kids the basics, so when they do leave home they will not be resorting to microwave dinners and drive thru junk food. This semester I am teaching a Home Economics class for the local homeschool co-op, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I thought I would share my lessons with you in a series called Cooking Basics because not everyone knows how to cook.

Now there are many ways eggs can be cooked, but today I will share with you two of the most basic ways: boiled eggs and scrambled eggs.

How Fresh Are Your Eggs?

Before we get into how to actually cook eggs, do you know how to tell how fresh your eggs are? While preparing for my class, I found a very informative article over at Wonder How To. Unless you have chickens of your own, you have to get your eggs from somewhere, and you may not always know how old they are. A simple way to determine the freshness of an egg is by placing it in water and seeing how it sits in the water. If an egg sinks to the bottom and lays on it’s side, it is fresh. If it sinks to the bottom and tilts or is pointing upward, it is perfect for hard-boiling. If it floats to the top of the water, then you should throw it out.

Boiling Eggs

Soft boiled, hard boiled, in between. It is all a personal preference and can also vary from stove to stove and pan to pan so you will need to experiment just a bit to find your perfect method to get the eggs just how you like them. Did you know you can also make a boiled egg in the oven?

Directions for Stove Top

  1. PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling.
  2. REMOVE from burner. COVER pan. LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 12 minutes for large eggs (9 minutes for medium eggs; 15 minutes for extra large). If you like your yolk runny try 4 minutes; a gooey yolk 6 minutes; medium-boiled 10 minutes and hard-boiled 12 minutes.
  3. DRAIN immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE.

Tips:

  1. Adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the water may help keep egg whites from running out if an egg does crack while cooking.
  2. Some people find adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water helps prevent cracking as well as making the eggs easier to peel.
  3. It easiest to crack your eggs before placing in ice water bath and then peel the eggs under a bit of running water.
  4. The green around the yolk results from overcooking. So if this is occurring, try cooking your eggs a little longer and placing them immediately into a cold water bath to stop the cooking.
  5. The best way to store hard boiled eggs is in a covered container in the refrigerator. Eggs can release odors in the fridge which is why it helps to keep them covered. They should be eaten within 5 days. Once peeled, eat immediately.

Maybe you don’t want to mess with eggs on the stove. You might consider baking them.

Directions for Oven

  1. PREHEAT OVEN 350°
  2. Place eggs in muffin tin.
  3. Bake eggs in oven for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove eggs from oven and muffin tin. Cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE.

Scrambling Eggs

I will admit scrambled eggs are not my favorite. Or at least until I learned how to make them correctly. The trick for me was learning to cook them low and slow and folding the eggs instead of chopping them.

You will need 2 eggs per person; a pat of butter, coconut oil or olive oil; a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Some people like to add water or milk to their eggs for fluffiness. Add 1 tablespoon of water or milk for each serving of egg but if done right, you don’t really need the water or milk.

Directions

  1. Beat eggs in bowl until blended.
  2. Heat large skillet over medium heat until hot. Melt butter and spread around the pan. Pour in eggs. As eggs begin to set, gently pull the eggs across the pan with a spatula, forming large soft curds.
  3. Continue cooking/pulling, lifting and folding eggs, until thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly. Remove from heat. Serve immediately.

You can serve your eggs as is or consider sprinkling them with shredded cheese and bacon, or sautéed veggies.

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