Don't Forget This Tip For Perfectly Jammy Soft-Boiled Eggs Every Time

If you regularly enjoy making smashed eggs on toast for breakfast or jammy eggs with scallion drizzle for lunch, fine-tuning your cooking skills is a good idea. Especially if your goal is to produce perfectly cooked eggs with soft-boiled centers, there's more to think about than an iron-clad cook time. Sure enough, to make jammy eggs that are not only cooked to perfection but also easier to peel, drop your eggs straight into an ice bath after cooking.

To test this method for yourself, first determine how long to soft-boil eggs for perfectly jammy yolks. Most soft-boiled eggs are ready to drop in an ice bath after six-and-a-half minutes, while some may take a minute longer. Once you boil your eggs for your preferred amount of time, use a slotted metal spoon or tongs to transfer your eggs to a bowl of ice water. At this point, make sure to submerge your eggs for at least a minute or two before peeling. The ice water shocks your eggs, which stops any residual cooking. However, to achieve the ideal soft-boiled consistency from this strategic cooling method, you also need to follow other worthwhile tips.

When it comes to cooking, either start your eggs in a pot of cold water, or place your eggs straight from the refrigerator into boiling water. Either way, cook your eggs at a gentle boil as opposed to a rolling boil. This prevents your eggs from cracking upon impact. If cracks do happen, hot water may seep into the shell lining of your eggs, which can reduce the impact of an ice bath.

Additionally, set up your ice bath before you begin boiling your eggs. This way, your bowl of water has time to properly chill from any added ice. Also, use a large enough bowl to properly account for the number of eggs you're boiling. Avoid placing too many eggs in a smaller ice bath, which can alter the temperature of the water and weaken the impact of thermal shock.

Another way to get the most out of a post-cooking ice bath is to consider the age of your eggs. Among the most useful tips that improve the way you make hard-boiled eggs is to boil eggs that are slightly older than fresh. Turns out, older eggs tend to shrink and better separate from their inner lining during cooking.