[liv4fud]

Are hard boiled eggs supposed to sweat?

This is what I had done: started about 10 eggs in cold water, cranked up heat in a lot of water, letting it come to a boil and cooked for about 10 minutes then turning off heat, draining water and letting it cool to touch.

quickly peeled all of them as the last time was a pain. stored them in a container and kept in fridge for later use. the other day when I removed to stir them into curry, I saw a greenish-yellow-clear sweat in the container.
it was clear water and didn't seem to have a smell

but was curious if this was normal? I had to cook the eggs as I was nearing the *expiration date*

[MarkV]

You overcooked the eggs and caused a chemical reaction between the iron in the yolk and the sulphur in the white which in turn causes the greenish color.

Start them in cold water. As soon as it hits a boil, TURN OFF THE HEAT. Then allow them to steep in the hot water, covered, for 13 minutes and then immediately cool them in ice water, or at least cold water.

Mark

[Suzanne]

In addition to what MarkV said (I use the same method and it never fails to give me tender whites and yellow yolks):

If you hard-cook eggs to hold them in the fridge, do not peel/shell them until you are ready to use them. Store them in the shells (you can always mark on the shell that they're cooked; but that is unnecessary, as unlike raw eggs, they will spin easily). Peeled, they are more likely to pick up odors. Also, cold cooked eggs are easier to peel than warm ones.

In the future, if you DO need to peel hard-cooked eggs right after cooking, do as Mark says and chill them down in cold or ice water. ALSO as you do so, crack the shells a little -- this will help the shell separate even more easily once they're cold. But do this only if you are peeling them right away, not if you will be storing them.

[phatch]

Also, boiled eggs don't keep as long as raw eggs. Don't do them too far ahead.

Boiling the egg strips a protective coating from the egg making the shell more permeable than its raw state. For this reason, eggs pasteurized in the shell are coated in wax.

Phil

[liv4fud]

thanx all for the suggestions, I shall follow them from next time around, just a quick question : how long do the eggs normally last after *expiration date*

also what is the way to find out an egg gone bad?
(p.s.: I am a converted non-veggie )

[MarkV]

I wouldn't eat any eggs past the expiration date.

To test the freshness of an egg, place it in a glass bowl. If it lays flat it's very fresh. If one end tips up, it's not as fresh but still edible. If it floats make tuna salad instead.

Eggs have an air sac that expands as the egg ages.

Mark

[Suzanne]

Well, here I depart from Mark's views of what can and cannot be eaten. As with so many other foods that I am loathe to toss out or cannot make up a need to use "on schedule," with eggs I live dangerously: I keep eggs long past their "expiration" date and have yet to crack one open to find it has "turned" or otherwise gone bad. And by long past I mean sometimes a couple of months.

How can I get away with this without killing anyone? I try to buy non-factory eggs. When purchasing eggs, I check that no shells are cracked (which would allow pathogens to enter). I store them in the original cartons at the bottom of my fridge, which I keep at 34-36 degrees F (rather cold).

Oh, I've had eggs that were bad: when I cracked them, they SMELLED (which a good egg does not); the yolk was broken and somewhat mixed up with the white, and was the wrong color -- more brown than yellow; and the egg SMELLED. You'd know right away if you got a bad egg.

Old eggs are flatter, more watery, and less perky than fresh ones. But as with people, you don't have to toss them just because they're old; they still have a useful life.

[MarkV]

Suzanne:

If we do your breakfast at your place, I'll have the cereal!



Mark

[Pete]

Expiration dates are really "sell by" dates for dairy and eggs. That is the last day a store can sell the product, not the last day which they are good. You would be SOL if that was the case because then that milk you just bought with an expiration date (sell by date) of tomorrow would be bad the day after you bought it. All dairy and egg products should last well beyond the "expiration date" if they have been properly stored and taken care of. Conversely, that date is meaningless, even if it is a week out, if you don't store your stuff properly.

[MarkV]

Yes, I'm aware that the expiration date is not etched in stone. I'm not a germ-a-phobe. It's been well quoted that the USDA estimates that only one in 20,000 eggs even has salmonella.

There is usually ample time to eat a dozen eggs before the expiration date. Nevertheless, for a $1.50, if there's a few left in the 11th hour, I'd prefer a fresh batch. Even in tact egg shells are porous and can assimilate other assorted nasties, (beside salmonella), over time.

I still stand by the float rule, regardless of the date.

Mark

[Kerryclan]

Float rule is the way to go. Expiration dates can and have been altered by unscrupulous sellers. Not always reliable for other reasons too, like whether or not the store or you kept them adequately refrigerated.

I do the cold water to boil, then turn off heat and cover method, but I add white vinegar to the water. When I take the eggs out, I crack the shells a little to allow release of the gasses. I never have that grey-green yolk ring or any odor. Mom taught me this.

[MarkV]

Originally Posted by Kerryclan

but I add white vinegar to the water.

Older eggs are easier to peel than fresh eggs. This is because older eggs have a higher pH. Thus, adding vinegar to the water will lower the pH and can actually make them a little more resistant to peeling. At the very least, it is a needless step.

Poached eggs are another animal though. Here the vinegar helps the proteins coagulate and keeps the eggs more in tact.

Mark

[Kerryclan]

Originally Posted by MarkV

Older eggs are easier to peel than fresh eggs. This is because older eggs have a higher pH. Thus, adding vinegar to the water will lower the pH and can actually make them a little more resistant to peeling. At the very least, it is a needless step.

Poached eggs are another animal though. Here the vinegar helps the proteins coagulate and keeps the eggs more in tact.

Mark

Oh, thanks Mark! Mine are a little hard to peel. Guess mom wasn't always right. No more vinegar in the water for me!