Steam Eggs Instead of Boiling!

First of all, I have to tell you that I *heart* experiments. I am a former laboratory scientist and I miss testing variables, so sometimes I have to make up my own tests at home. Yes, I realize that what I just wrote is kind of sad. But to your benefit, I have harnessed this crazy scientist energy to give you this awesome egg-cooking method! And by awesome, I mean repeatable and consistent… a win-win for all! Check out this method to steam boil eggs.

I blog about simple recipes that make my busy life so much easier. Go to my website to find more recipes that have become huge time-savers for my family!

WEIGHT OF LARGE EGGS

So, first I have to say that I used LARGE eggs. Extra-large and jumbo will take longer. Secondly, even within the same carton, there is some variation. My carton of a dozen eggs ranged from 54 to 62 grams, which is 1.9 to 2.2 ounces. In order to minimize variation, I chose 7 eggs that were 54 to 57 grams each, which is 1.9 to 2.0 ounces.

COOKING METHOD

I wanted to try my best to make this method as repeatable as possible. Since I have always started with cold water and boiled my eggs, it is difficult to be consistent with exact cooking times. The reason I did this test is because of a different recipe that I will post soon that uses soft boiled eggs. As you can see from my picture of the cooked eggs, the yolk goes from runny to firm somewhere between the 6 to 8 minute range. This timing is critical if you’re trying to get the perfect soft-cooked egg for my recipe for Fancy Ramen noodles (post coming soon!). In my pre-experiment planning, I read that you are over-cooking your eggs if you get that green ring around the outside of the yolk. At some point, there is a reaction between the white and the yolk that happens when the eggs are boiled for too long.

I wanted the method to be easy as well, so I used eggs straight from the refrigerator. I didn’t want to use ice water to cool them down because, once again…. variables! Just kidding, the real reason is that our ice maker is broken so we have been using ice trays for over a year, which is a pain. Instead of ice water, I used cold tap water, which I measured at 62 degrees in Minnesota in November. I think it’s more important to have a large pot of water to distribute the heat of the eggs than to have an exact temperature, but recorded it because, well, that’s what scientists do. I promise I didn’t sign and date my notes.

I have two of the same Calphalon 4 quart soup pans (affiliate) and used one to steam the eggs and the other to cool them down. I poured 2 cups of water into my pan and added my steamer basket (affiliate). Then I brought the water to a strong boil on high on my stove top. Use a pair of tongs (affiliate) to add the eggs to the steamer, then place the lid on top of the pan.

Easier Egg Peeling

Steam the eggs to the desired doneness, then remove them with tongs and place them in the cold water. After 5 minutes, I cracked the peels by rolling them on the countertop and peeled a small amount of shell and membrane away at the larger end of the egg. Then I put them back in the cold water for an additional 15 minutes before peeling them completely. My eggs were fresh and most of the eggs peeled pretty easily. For my pictures, I should note that I cut through the 6 to 7 minute eggs as quickly as possible so I wouldn't lose too much yolk.

I blog about simple recipes that make my busy life so much easier. Go to my website to find more recipes that have become huge time-savers for my family!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups water

Large eggs (straight from refrigerator)

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour 2 cups water into 4 quart soup pan

Add steamer basket

Bring to a strong boil

Use tongs to add refrigerated eggs to basket and cover with lid

Steam for the time needed for your desired doneness

for LARGE EGGS:Six to seven minutes for runny yolks

Eight to nine minutes for medium set yolks

Twelve minutes for completely set yolks

After cooking, move eggs to a large pot of cold tap water

After 5 minutes, crack each egg shell and roll with palm on a hard surface/countertop, but do not peel yet. Remove some shell and membrane at the large end of the egg and return the egg to the cold water for an additional 15 minutes. This will allow water to seep in between the egg and shell to make peeling later easier.After a total of 20 minutes, peel the egg completely.