Have you ever found that the hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator are mixed with raw eggs? Don't worry, even if they look the same, you can usually tell if the eggs are still raw by turning them; Hard-boiled eggs will spin in balance while raw eggs will wobble. If that doesn't work, there are several other tests that can help determine whether the egg is cooked or not.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Rotating Eggs
Step 1. Place the eggs on a smooth and flat surface
There should be plenty of surfaces like this in your kitchen: a cutting board, countertop, or even the bottom of the sink.
Step 2. Turn the eggs
Grip the egg with your fingers and thumb. Twisted eggs that fell sideways sharply like a top. The twisting motion should be like snapping your fingers. The egg should turn at a moderate, steady speed.
Step 3. Stop the egg movement immediately
Straighten your index finger as if pointing. Place your finger quickly on the center point of the rotating egg. The egg should stop turning. Immediately lift your finger from the egg once the eggs stop turning.
Press hard enough to stop the egg from moving quickly. The egg should go from spinning to still in a matter of seconds
Step 4. See what happens to the egg
Eggs will show a reaction according to the condition of your eggs whether cooked or raw. See below:
- If the egg remains stable, it means the egg is cooked.
- If the egg keeps turning slowly or wagging, it's still raw. This is because the white liquid and yolk are still rotating in the egg shell. The egg's center of gravity shifts as the liquid inside continues to stir which keeps the egg moving.
Step 5. For a faster test, watch the egg move as it spins
The test above will tell you accurately whether your eggs are cooked or not. However, you can also tell by paying close attention to the way the egg rotates; You don't need to stop the egg with your finger. This method is suitable if you need to test many eggs at once.
- If the egg is turning quickly and steadily with the tip facing up, it means the egg is cooked. The egg's center of gravity has stabilized.
- If the egg turns slowly, wobbles violently, or is even difficult to turn, it is raw. The liquid inside the egg rotates due to the rotation of the egg so that the balance becomes chaotic.
Method 2 of 3: Other tests
Step 1. Shake the eggs
Take the egg with your fingertips and gently shake it like a maracas. Concentrate on the sensation you feel from the egg.
- If it is cooked, the egg will feel hard like a rock
- If the egg is filled with liquid, you will be able to feel the liquid inside the egg moving as you shake it.
Step 2. Look for a stream of small air bubbles
Place the eggs in a pot or bowl of hot water (ideally, the water is almost boiling). Look for small streams of air bubbles coming out of the eggshell. When the test is complete, remove the eggs unless you want to cook them thoroughly.
- If the eggs are raw, you will see air bubbles come out. The egg shell is not completely solid, but is actually covered by thousands of tiny holes that sometimes air can pass through. Heating the egg expands the air inside the shell and passes through these holes, creating air bubbles.
- If the egg is cooked, you may not be able to see these air bubbles because they have been forced out during the boiling process.
Step 3. Overlay the eggs with a flashlight
Wait until nightfall or go into a dark room and bring a bright flashlight with you. Turn on the flashlight and stick the side of the lamp to the egg shell. This test works better if you use a smaller flashlight so the flashlight can "lock in" the egg shells.
- If the egg lights up like a lantern, it means it's raw. The liquid inside the egg allows light to pass through.
- If the eggs are dark and opaque, they are cooked. The dense egg whites and yolks do not allow light to pass through.
Method 3 of 3: Marking Boiled Eggs
Step 1. Boil with onion skin
If you mark the eggs when you boil them, you don't need to do the tests above to determine how they differ from raw eggs. One easy way to do this is to sprinkle some onion peels in boiling water with the eggs. A hard-boiled egg will turn a very nice creamy color. This will make it easier for you to distinguish them from raw eggs.
- The more onion skins are used, the more pronounced the effect will be. If you can, use the peel of about 12 cloves of garlic so that the discoloration of the egg is really noticeable.
- Onion skins also tend to turn the eggs darker than white or yellow onion skins.
Step 2. Color the eggs with food coloring
You can use food coloring or easter egg coloring to make it easier for you to keep track of which eggs are being boiled. You can even color code the eggs: red for fully cooked eggs, blue for undercooked eggs, and so on.
If the eggs are being boiled in a small saucepan, you can add a few drops of food coloring and a few teaspoons of vinegar directly to the boiling water. Also, boil the eggs first, then soak them in a mixture of cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and a few drops of food coloring after.
Step 3. Write on the surface of the egg shell
This method is simple, but fast and easy. You can simply boil the eggs as you normally would, then remove them from the water and let them dry. When they are completely dry, mark the eggs on the shells with a pencil or marker. For simplicity, you can try writing "R" for "boiled".
