Soft or hard yolk: know how long to let the egg cook so you don’t make a mistake

Making a hard-boiled egg may seem like the most basic thing in the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has mastered this technique, especially when it comes to getting the yolk soft or harder.

After all, a hard-boiled egg looks the same as a raw egg at first glance, so it can be hard to know if it’s already to your liking.

And this task can get even more complicated when each family member prefers the egg yolk at a different point… How will you know the right time to take the egg out of the water?

Well, know that your problems are over! Just follow our tips to cook the eggs to the point you want, leaving the yolk just the way you prefer.

How to leave the egg yolk at the ideal point

Regardless of the desired yolk point, you should start by placing the eggs in a pan and covering them with cold water and then bringing them to a high heat. As soon as the water comes to a full boil, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove.

Cover the pan and start the timer according to the point of the yolk. For those who like the softer yolk, the secret is to remove the eggs from the water between 5 to 8 minutes. At 5 minutes, the yolk will still run when cut.

Those who prefer a firmer yolk should leave the eggs in the hot water for 9 to 14 minutes. Look at the image above to choose the point you prefer and know the exact moment to take the eggs out of the pan.

Tips for cooking your eggs to perfection

You already know how long you should soak your eggs in hot water until you reach the desired point for the yolk, but there are some tricks to make them even more beautiful and tasty. Write down:

1. If you are not going to eat the egg right away, put it in cold water to stop the cooking and prevent the yolk from being overcooked;
2. Take the eggs out of the fridge some time before cooking them, as the thermal shock can cause the shell to break;
3. Add a few drops of vinegar to the cooking water to prevent the white from escaping through the cracks in the shell and forming strands in the water;
4. Did the yolk have blue-green spots? No problem. This just means that the eggs were overcooked, causing the sulfur to react with the iron and giving rise to this coloring;
5. Did you mix raw and boiled eggs? Then look at them against a lamp: the raw egg is more translucent and allows you to see the yolk, whereas the hard-boiled egg is completely solid and not penetrated by light;
6. Another way to differentiate cross-cooked and hard-boiled eggs is by rotating them on a table: raw eggs are more unstable and lean to the sides, and hard-boiled eggs rotate more quickly and evenly.

Now that you know all the secrets involved in the art of cooking an egg, how about discovering the difference between white and brown eggs? Spoiler: they are practically identical in nutritional aspects, but there are other factors that influence the quality of this food.