10 Egg Mistakes You Don’t Even Realise You’re Making (Until It’s Too Late)

Eggs must be the most popular whole food in the world, with the majority of people enjoying eggs in one form or another. Whether you prefer them fried, boiled, poached or scrambled, this article will help you cook better eggs.

There’s an old saying that goes “you can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs” and while that’s true, even the way you crack your eggs could be wrong. In this article we’ll be listing 10 mistakes that you’re probably making when cooking or preparing eggs. Keep reading to find out more.

What Makes Eggs Such A Special & Popular Food?

Almost everyone enjoys eggs cooked in one way or another and because of how many different ways eggs can be cooked they’re an extremely popular food choice. Eggs can be boiled (hard or soft), poached, fried, scrambled or turned into omelettes. Not to mention being one of the ingredients in delicious cakes, pies and pastries.

But, not only are they versatile and can be made into great tasting foods, they’re also incredibly nutritious too. Eggs are nutrient dense and contain: 

• Omega 3 fatty acids
• Calcium
• Folate
• Choline
• Iron
• Lutein
• Zinc

As well as vitamins A,B,D,E,&K. Plus they’re a natural whole food with no artificial additives or preservatives.

10 Mistakes You’re Making When Cooking Eggs Without Realising

Most people would agree that cooking eggs isn’t really that difficult. However, there are a few basic practices that will make your eggs better and in some cases, healthier.

While it’s common for souffles to go wrong and some people struggle with cooking omelettes, even the way you’re cooking fried eggs and boiled eggs can be improved. Let’s look at the 10 mistakes you could be making when cooking eggs. They include;

1. Using Old Eggs

When it comes to cooking eggs, freshness really does matter. Fresh eggs actually taste better and that’s not all, if you’re frying, poaching or boiling your eggs they need to be fresh. While older eggs are still perfectly safe to eat (as long as they’re within their use by date) they won’t turn out so good as really fresh eggs will.

Using Old Eggs For Hard Boiling

As eggs age, air seeps in which in itself isn’t a problem until you try to hard boil them. That little patch of air will create a dip in one end of the egg which won’t look too pretty if you’re serving them whole as either hard boiled or devilled eggs.

Having said that, older eggs which have been hard boiled will peel easier than fresh eggs. That same air that seeps in helps to push the membrane away from the shell making it easier to peel. Obviously fresh eggs have little to no air inside so the membrane is stuck to the shell which makes it difficult to peel.

You can peel fresh eggs perfectly if they’re steamed in a colander over simmering water for around 12 minutes and then plunged into a bowl of ice water until they cool enough to handle.

Using Old Eggs For Frying

The white of the egg thins as the egg ages which means using older eggs when frying leads to the white spreading further in the pan. Plus the membrane that holds the yolk together also thins which means you’re far more likely to break the yolk.

Using Old Eggs For Poaching

As the white of an old egg is thinner, it won’t hold together properly if you use old eggs for poaching. Which means that the white won’t form properly round the yolk as the egg is cooking.

2. Using The Wrong Pan

The old saying goes “it’s a bad worker that blames their tools” but when it comes to eggs, using the wrong pan does cause problems. For instance when cooking;

• Scrambled eggs
  You should use an enamelled pan or a non-stick teflon free frying pan. If you prefer to use a cast iron pan, be sure to use lashings of butter or oil to prevent the eggs from sticking.
• Omelettes
  Use a lightweight shallow pan with sloping sides for best results.
• Poached Eggs
  A large, deep pot with enough space to allow the eggs to cook without sticking to the bottom or crowding together is essential for perfect poached eggs.
• Hard boiled eggs
  Use a colander large enough for the eggs to sit in a single layer without touching each other over a pan of boiling water.
• Quiches & tarts
  These should be baked in pans with removable bottoms to make them easier to remove when cooked.
• Cheesecake
  You should use a springform pan for cheesecakes to make it easier to remove.

3. Adding Salt Too Soon

Salt will draw moisture out of food which is why it’s important to never add salt to scrambled eggs until they’re finished cooking. If you add the salt as you whisk the eggs they will become too watery and lose their structure.

4. Not Whisking Scrambled Eggs

When making scrambled eggs, the eggs should be whisked in a bowl until the white and yolk are combined completely. They should then be poured immediately into a hot pan.

Eggs cook really fast as soon as they get exposed to any heat. Which means that if they’re not whisked properly you will have strands of gelatinous egg white mixed in with scrambled yolks. This not only looks unappealing it also doesn’t have the correct texture so tastes wrong too.

Whisking properly is also essential when making omelettes as well. This is because whisking adds air to the eggs making them cook light and fluffy. As soon as you have finished whisking, the eggs should be poured into the pan so make sure the pan is at the right temperature before you start whisking your eggs.

Don’t whisk your eggs and then set the bowl on the side until the pan gets up to the required temperature. You should whisk and immediately pour your eggs into the pan. Otherwise, all of that air that you added to the eggs will be gone and your omelette will be flat and not fluffy at all.

5. Cooking Eggs Too Fast

Eggs cook at a notoriously fast rate. If cooked too fast, eggs will become rubbery and really unappealing.You should always cook eggs slowly over a medium or low heat. 

If you’re cooking scrambled eggs, they should be constantly moved around the pan using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up large clumps.

Fried eggs also need to be cooked slowly and you need to be aware that the whites cook faster than the yolk. If you want the yolk less runny you should baste oil or butter over the yolk as the egg cooks or cover the pan with a lid. 

See through glass lids are best because you can actually monitor the progress of the yolk as it cooks.

In all cases, when the eggs are barely done and still look slightly wet they should be removed from the pan because they keep cooking even after the heat has been removed. Which is why you should put them on a plate to slow the cooking process down.

6. Cooking With Cold Eggs

You should always use eggs at room temperature otherwise they could ruin a recipe. This is especially true when making cakes, cookies or mayonnaise because cold eggs can cause the fats in the other ingredients to curdle and become lumpy.

If your recipe calls for egg whites, and they’re too cold they will be too gelatinous which prevents them from mixing with the other ingredients properly. Plus cold egg whites won’t beat into peaks as easy as room temperature egg whites either.

Even when frying eggs, the eggs should be at room temperature because otherwise they’re likely to steam rather than fry if they’re too cold.

Having said all of that, if you need to separate the white from the yolk, you’ll find it easier if the egg is cold. So if your recipe calls for separated eggs, you should take them straight from the fridge, separate them and then leave them on the side for around 30 minutes or so before using them.

7. Not Using Clean Utensils When Beating Egg Whites

While we’re on the subject of egg whites, if there’s even a minute speck of oil or grease in the bowl, on the whisk or other utensils being used to beat the egg whites, it can cause them to not whip properly.

You’re looking for soft peaks which might not happen unless all traces of grease and oil are removed. If you’re not sure, try running half a lemon or a paper towel soaked in white vinegar all over the bowl and whisk or other utensils to be sure all grease is gone.

8. Cracking Eggs On The Bowl Edge

When you’re cracking eggs it should be done on a flat surface like the countertop or cutting board. This is because if you crack them on the edge of a bowl there’s a strong likelihood of some of the shell getting pushed into the egg.

Plus there’s the possibility of bacteria getting pushed into the egg which could lead to illness if not cooked properly.

9. Cracking Eggs Straight Into Batter

You should always crack eggs into a small bowl or dish before adding them to your batter or cake mix. This allows you to check that the egg hasn’t gone bad and remove any eggshell that might have fallen in with the egg.

10. Throwing Away Extra Egg Whites Or Yolks

Sometimes a recipe requires either just the yolk or the egg white. Which means you’re left with either a yolk or egg white that’s surplus to requirements.

This often leads to you throwing away the unused part of the egg. But both the yolk and the egg white can be frozen and used at a later date.

Extra Mistakes

That’s 10 mistakes you’re probably making without realising when cooking eggs. Here are a couple more;

11. Only Eating Egg Whites

A few years ago egg white omelettes became fashionable because they’re a good source of protein. As most of the fat and cholesterol are found in the yolk it was believed to be healthier to just eat the egg whites.

However, most of the vitamins and nutrients are found in the yolk as well. So if you want to benefit from all of the nutrients found in an egg, you need to eat the whole egg and not just the white.

12. Limiting Your Diet To Only Eating Chicken Eggs

There are plenty of other birds that lay eggs that can be found in many shops and supermarkets. You don’t have to limit your diet to chicken eggs. You can buy;

• Quail’s eggs
• Duck eggs
• Goose eggs

Some specialist stores also stock turkey eggs. 

Using different eggs other than chicken eggs can add different flavours to your meals and give a richness to your dishes. If you’re not sure how many eggs you should be eating, 3 chicken eggs is the equivalent of 2 duck eggs or 1 goose egg.

13. Not Storing Eggs Correctly

Many people don’t store their eggs correctly. While it’s true that in some countries eggs are stored at room temperature, in the UK they should always be kept in the fridge. That’s because British eggs are washed and may have a thinner protective membrane, making them more vulnerable to bacteria like salmonella if left out. Keeping your eggs in the fridge also helps them last longer and maintain their freshness.

But be careful where you place them, they should be stored in the main body of the fridge, not the door. The temperature in the door fluctuates too much as it’s opened and closed, which can affect the eggs’ shelf life and quality.

14. Over Cooking Hard Boiled Eggs

If you’ve ever hard boiled an egg and noticed a green or grey ring around the yolk, don’t worry, it’s not harmful, but it does mean the egg was overcooked. This discolouration is caused by a chemical reaction between the iron in the yolk and sulphur in the white, usually due to too high a temperature or too long a cooking time.

To avoid this, once the eggs are cooked, plunge them straight into an ice bath or cold running water to stop the cooking process. This helps keep the yolks bright yellow and prevents that unappetising ring.

The Difference Between Free Range, Organic & Barn Eggs

Many people reach for the cheapest eggs on the shelf without thinking about how they’re produced. Understanding the labels can help you make a more informed decision, not just for taste and nutrition, but for ethical reasons too.

Free range eggs come from hens that have access to the outdoors, while organic eggs go one step further and come from hens that are fed an organic diet and raised without antibiotics. Barn eggs are from hens kept indoors but not in cages. The method of farming affects not only the welfare of the hens, but often the taste and quality of the eggs as well.

How To Tell If An Egg Has Gone Off Or Not

No one wants to crack open a rotten egg, luckily, there’s an easy way to check before you start cooking. Simply place the egg in a bowl of water. If it sinks and lies flat on its side, it’s fresh. If it stands upright or floats, it’s best to throw it out. This method works because as eggs age, the air cell inside enlarges, making the egg more buoyant.

You can also do a sniff test after cracking the egg into a separate bowl. A bad egg will have a very distinctive and unpleasant sulphur smell.

Crack The Code To Perfect Eggs Every Time

Mastering the art of cooking eggs isn’t just about knowing a few recipes, it’s about understanding the small details that make a big difference. By avoiding these common mistakes and applying a few expert tips, you can transform your eggs from ordinary to outstanding. 

Whether you’re making breakfast, baking a cake, or rustling up a quick dinner, eggs deserve a little care and attention. So next time you reach for the egg box, remember, great eggs aren’t just cooked, they’re crafted.

SEE ALSO: The One Air Fryer Hack That Will Change How You Cook Forever!

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