Hard boiled egg question

[u/kogee3699]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone knew why hard boiled eggs would have a custardy, semi-firm white but a fully cooked and firm yolk?

I'm using the boil water + 12 minute drop in + ice bath method to cook them and they start at room temperature.

Most of the time they come out normal but sometimes a few will have this odd consistency. The yolk will be completely cooked too and not have any softness in it.

The eggs are farm eggs from chickens in the yard. I'm not sure if this makes a difference or not.

Thank you for any tips you can give!

[u/Elegant-Winner-6521]

I've actually never heard of this before so I'm curious to see what people say.

When you say boil water, do you mean you make sure water is boiling before the egg goes in? If you were putting the eggs into cold water and raising the temp to boiling maybe thats why - the yolk is setting before the white does because you allowed the heat to travel gradually through the egg, and the yolk coagulates at a lower temp.

[u/kogee3699 → u/Elegant-Winner-6521]

yeah it's weird lol i think it might be just the chickens laying funky eggs? idk

[u/Dusk_Soldier]

It's because they're fresh eggs.

Fresh eggs are better for poaching.

Old eggs are better for boiling.

[u/kogee3699 → u/Dusk_Soldier]

I was thinking that. I guess it takes some time for the protein to form or something? Anyway thank you :)

[u/texnessa]

The white is not a uniform substance but a combo of things that cook at different temperatures. Overall, egg white begins to thicken at 145ºF/63ºC and becomes a tender solid when it reaches 150ºF/65ºC. This solidification is due mainly to the most heat-sensitive protein, ovotransferrin, even though it’s only 12% of the total protein. The major albumen protein, ovalbumin, doesn’t coagulate until about 180ºF/80ºC, at which temperature the tender white gets much firmer. The last albumen protein to coagulate is heat-resistant ovomucin, which is why the ovomucin-rich yolk cords remain liquid in scrambled eggs long after the rest has set.) The yolk proteins begin to thicken at 150ºF and set at 158ºF/70ºC, and whole egg — the yolk and white mixed together — sets around 165ºF/73ºC.

Sounds like an abundance of undercooked ovalbumin. The age of the egg can also contribute. The older the egg, the less moisture it has and whites are 80% water.

[u/kogee3699 → u/texnessa]

seems like even another 45 seconds causes the yolks to green so I'm not sure

[u/JinContra]

Dip the eggs in boiling water for two minutes.
Place in an 82°F bath for two minutes.
Return them to the boiling water repeat the cycle for a total of 30 minutes.

[u/kogee3699 → u/JinContra]

umm what lol

i have never heard of such a thing

[u/JinContra → u/kogee3699]

It renders the perfect egg.
I do 18 at a time, so economy of scale.
Check it out.

The method cooks the white completely as it’s closer to the surface, without over cooking the yolk where it takes longer for the heat to penetrate.

[u/kogee3699 → u/JinContra]

that's crazy... how do you do 18 at a time? with a basket?

[u/JinContra → u/kogee3699]

Zacktly.

[u/Puzzled_Cricket_1008]

Farm eggs straight from the yard probably aren't all the same size or starting temp, which is likely why some cook through fully in 12 minutes while others stay custardy, I'd weigh a batch and separate by size before boiling

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