(no subject)

[bliumchik]

Guys, you guys. how do you boil an egg?

*looks sheepish*

So interesting story, folk remedy for blocked/runny noses (and mine is hella runny): boil eggs, apply to face. When they cool down you can eat them.

I uh. I think for that last bit you have to boil them longer than five minutes though?

Yeah.

On the bright side I got most of it in a bowl so I guess I'm having fried... eggy... stuff tomorrow.

Comments

[astridthemighty.livejournal.com]

Hard-boiled eggs take about 9 minutes to boil.

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

See I put them in. And then I went "hmm I wonder if we have an egg timer."

And I cracked them a little dropping them into the saucepan so after about five minutes there were white splurgy bits all over the pan and then it boiled over and I was like whoops! So I just took it off.

[astridthemighty.livejournal.com]

Cracks are the enemy of the quality boiled egg. Check your eggs carefully first, and put aside any with cracks. They're fine for frying or poaching or whatever- unless the crack is huge, the membrane that protects the egg is probably fine.

To boil a good egg, fill a saucepan with water, add half a pinch of salt, and gently- that's GENTLY, Maggie- drop your eggs in. Put the saucepan on the stove, turn the heat up as high as it goes, and bring to the boil. Once it's boiling, turn the heat down so the water simmers but doesn't boil over. Cook eggs for 8-9 minutes approximately. Normally you'd take them out of the hot water and immerse them in cold water for about 3 minutes, but if you're using the heat, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon, dry them off on some paper towel or a dishcloth and apply to your face. Do wait for the egg to cool a little so you don't burn your face.

[ajodasso.livejournal.com]

I leave the suckers on full boil for at least 20-25 minutes. Any sooner and you risk them being undercooked.

(And I end up with some of them cracking, but at least they're done!)

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Haha yeah see. That.

Is it actually possible to overboil an egg? Because I tend to get impatient and take things off before time in case I leave them on too long.

...this is somehow a metaphor for my personal life I know it.

[godzemo.livejournal.com]

Hmm. :p

[godzemo.livejournal.com]

Also, I have a better folk remedy for a runny nose. It's called phenylephrine hydrochloride :D

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Is that science-speak for tissues?

[godzemo.livejournal.com]

Nope. It's a common nasal decongestant (lit.: makes your nose not runny :p) found as the active ingredient in medicines such as Sudafed.

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

I see. Well in this house we have... *has a rummage* yup, saline nasal drops, woo. Oh hey, Drixine.

[godzemo.livejournal.com]

But yes! As a reminder for you before I go to sleep- get to a pharmacy tomorrow and looking for something containing:
500 mg paracetamol
~5 mg phenylephrine hydrochloride

It'll do you wonders, and should clear up your head and nose enough to get out of the house and not actually look like you have a cold :p

[astridthemighty.livejournal.com]

YES, you can overboil eggs. They go rubbery. It sucks.

[miss-186.livejournal.com]

I make them by putting the pan over high heat until the water comes to a boil, and then taking it off the heat, covering it, and letting them sit for between 15-20 minutes, depending how hard you like the yolk.

I have the most ridiculous craving for an egg salad sandwich right now. D:

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I do that, but only 12 minutes.

And if you have one of those microwavable heat pads (which are basically socks full of rice), they might serve the same sinus-related purpose as the boiled eggs, though obviously not the same eating purpose.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

According to the books I've read:

1. Put the egg/eggs in a pan with enough water to cover.
2. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Turn off the heat.
4. Let the eggs coast in the cooling water for ten-fifteen minutes.

The perfect cooking temperature for eggs is below the boiling point for water - 'hard-boiling' leads to the formation of a green layer of untasty ... stuff (forgot what it is) on the surface of the yolk. By ramping up and then down, you avoid this layer and make a significantly better egg (if you're lucky, the perfect gelled-but-not-crumbly yolk).

Edit: In other words, what miss_186 said.