How to cook an egg in boiling water?

Question

This is a really basic question.

So you take a pan of boiling water, break an egg into it and 3.5 minutes later fish it out. You have a nice white egg with a slightly runny yolk.

Now I have heard that there are things you can add to the water to improve this method of cooking eggs. If so what is recommended? And has anyone ever heard of adding vinegar, if so why?

Answer 1

i always add 1/4 cup to water because vinegar helps the egg white soldify

Answer 2

You want your water simmering, not boiling.  A splash of vinegar helps the egg white hold together.

Answer 3

It is called poaching an egg, I love 'em this way.  And yes you can add vinegar but really just crack the egg into a small cup and slip it very carefully into the water, once done just scoop out all the yummy white floating around, I love to put these on toast.  Yum.  Use a slotted spoon to take them out.  And the vinegar really won't make a differnece one way or another

Answer 4

Vinegar helps the egg to hold its shape. Without it, the eggs will become strings of protein tangling up in the water.  You can rinse the vinegar off the eggs by dunking them in hot water after they have poached.

Answer 5

Egg from fridge cold water 8 mins' never cracked 1  before' Hot Water usually 5 to be certain'' Vinegars better on yer Chips'?

Answer 6

Adding vinegar or lemon juice stops the egg from dispersing in the water - another trick is to make a whirl pool in the pot and drop the egg in the center of the whirl pool - remeber the water should not be boiling when you drop the egg in but 'simmering' jsut below boiling point - about 90 degrees

Answer 7

just add a little white vinegar to the water, bring to a rolling boil, take off the heat, drop egg in, let it set up, with the spoon sort of pour spoonfuls of the water over the top as its cooking,and cut off unsightly edges, when it reaches desired doness, spoon out over toast.