How do you cook a hard boiled egg to make a mushy yolk center?

Question

I know how to soft boil. And I know how to hard boil.

But how do you soft boil a hard boiled egg?

Ooh, I've confused everyone. What I'm trying to say is, there are "hard boiled" eggs that don't have powdery light yellow yolks in the middle but more mushy bright yellow ones. I'm curious to know the timing for this.

Answer 1

You know that soft boiled are 3 mins or so.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add two(2) room temperature eggs to the boiling water.

Remove one egg at 4 mins and put in a dish of cold tap water.

Remove the other at 5 mins and put in another dish of cold tap water.

After the are cool enough to handle, peel the eggs and cut in half and see which yolk you prefer.

Now you know how long to boil the egg for the yolk you like.

Cold eggs from the Fridge will drop the water temp and causing the boiling time to vary too much. You will never get a really good boiled egg by boiling cold eggs. Unless you just want hard boiled and then they will probably be tough.

Answer 2

Everyone else has already answered the question, so I thought I'd pass along what I think is the best method of peeling boiled eggs: Simply drain the water from the pot and then shake the pot back and forth and around and around. The more eggs in the pot the better, but this will also work with just one egg. After the eggs are good and cracked, the shells should just slip right off. Quick and easy!

Answer 3

This is a toughy. I love my eggs that way too. Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to tell you that it comes down to timing. Try about 2.5 mins or so in boiling water. If it's too runny, then next time try for longer...and if too hard..then next time shorter.

Answer 4

This site has good pics, too!



There are two problems you'll want to avoid: cracked shells and the ugly green layer that can form around the yolk. For perfect cooking, start with eggs that don't have any visible cracks.

Bring your eggs to room temperature before cooking. If the egg has been stored in the refrigerator it can be warmed gently under a flowing hot tap water. By bringing the eggs to room temperature, they're much less likely to crack in the hot water. Also the temperature of the egg at the start of the cooking process will affect the cooking time. An egg that is at room temperature at the start of the cooking process will require about 1 minute less cooking time than eggs taken directly from the refrigerator.

NOTE: In case small cracks do develop, add salt to the cooking water. The salt will help to speed up the denaturing of the egg white, causing less of it to feather into the water. Use at least a tablespoon of table salt per two quarts of water.

Place them in a single layer in a pan with enough cold water to cover eggs completely (approximately by 1 1/2 inches). Bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, cover tightly with a lid, and allow to remain in the water approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

NOTE: Watch the time when cooking the eggs carefully. Overcook causes a green layer to form around the yolk. This layer is caused by a reaction between the iron in the yolk and the sulfur in the white. Heat speeds up this reaction, so the longer your eggs cook, the greater the chance of discoloration.

Then done cooking, place under running, cold water to cool quickly. This way of cooking is also known as "coddling." It does not toughen the whites as boiling does. This will also assist with the peeling process, as the cold water creates steam between the egg white and the shell which makes the shell easier to remove.

Use the following cooking times as a guide for the desired firmness for the yolk of each egg size (the whites will be firm):

Egg Size
Degree of Doneness
Time Required

Medium
Soft-cooked yolk
3 minutes


Medium-cooked yolk
5 minutes


Hard-cooked yolk
10 to 12 minutes

Large
Soft-cooked yolk
4 to 5 minutes


Medium-cooked yolk
6 minutes


Hard-cooked yolk
12 to 15 minutes

Extra Large
Soft-cooked yolk
5 minutes


Medium-cooked yolk
7 to 8 minutes


Hard-cooked yolk
18 minutes


Soft-cooked eggs:

A soft-cooked egg has a firm white and runny yolk.

To serve in egg cup, place egg in cup small end down, slice off large end of egg with knife or egg scissors and eat from shell with spoon. You can also buy a good egg topper from a kitchen store. They're very quick and practical. I finally bought myself one, and now my eggs look beautiful when I top them!



Medium-cooked eggs:

A medium-cooked egg has a firm white and a slightly firm yolk.



Hard-cooked eggs:

A hard-cooked egg has both a firm white and yolk.

Hard-cooked eggs should never be boiled - simmer them in water. If boiled or cooked too long, the protein toughens or becomes rubbery and a greenish or purplish ring forms around the yolk.

Extremely fresh eggs are not recommended when making hard-boiled eggs. They are very difficult to peel. This is the best use for eggs nearing their expiration date.

Refrigeration is necessary for hard boiled eggs if they eggs are not to be consumed within a few hours. Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be refrigerated up to one week.

Photo of the different eggs courtesy of Hormel Foods.

Answer 5

You really can't. Soft boil or hard boil raw eggs.

Answer 6

I find 4-5 mins does the trick

Answer 7

try a minute under the time you keep for you hard boiled

Answer 8

ok you got me on this one i have not a clue what you are talking about it is either sofy boiled or hard boiled,,,been a chef for 15 years,,,,so i say you have stumped me

Answer 9

You cant. Once its hardboiled you cant go back and softboil it. Their are accurate instructions to do both and more with eggs@ dottysdiner.com