The secret is vinegar. Add a tablespoon or so to the poaching water. It makes the white hang together. BUT - the egg has to be fresh, because as eggs age the thick part of the white gets thinner.
And if the pan is not non-stick, butter the bottom so the eggs don't attach to it.

The secret is to add a little lemon juice to the water..... then stir with a spoon to a swirling eddy, and slip the egg which you have broken into a small dish, into the water.....turn off the heat and let sit for 4 minutes.
Drain, pat the excess water with a paper towel and serve.
Linda C

OG! Not a Tablespoon! ( Sorry.... I hate vinegar water for poaching eggs... it make the eggs taste vinegary.)

A lot depends on your water. If it's hard water -- like our well water -- you don't need any thing extra. If your water is soft then you have to add a little something like lemon juice or -- ok -- vinegar, but just a little will do -- start with 1/4 tsp and see if that works.

You need to have the water almost boiling before adding the fresh eggs... old eggs will run no matter what you do. I just crack them and break right into the almost-boiling water. I also find that using a non-stick skillet helps with cleanup. We like the yolk soft so I watch for the whites to get firm then lift them out with a slotted, spoon-shaped spatula and drain over some paper towel before plating.

Pinky : Ask them ,how to tell, if the eggs are Fresh.
I haven't had Poached eggs for about 100 years.

The little Poaching Pan was alluminum. The water wasn't filled to the top.
The little egg holder had a Wire Handle, to lift it out of the bottom Pan.
I don't know if they are the same now days.
But I never put anything in the water.
Just brought it to boiling,rubbed some butter in the egg holder.
Then dropped the egg in. Maybe the eggs were all fresh then.

Being you are a Veggie Tarian , why don't you make Peppers and Eggs then,
Lay that over the Cabbage.
Are you allowed to put pieces of Picnic Ham in the Cabbage,
for flavor?
Then take it out , when served.
Just curious, LOU

Don't give up...keep trying. all at once you will find that you have gotten the "hang" of it!

I don't like to use vinegar, gives the poached egg a vinegary taste. Guess lemon would be better, but I find that small amount of salt works just as well and gives a better taste. We also have well water.

I break the egg into a custard cup. When the water is just begining to show signs of starting to boil...turn your heat way down, just so that you can see the surface of the water shimmering gently. Take the egg in the custard cup right down onto the surface of the water and slip it in. When you see that the white is starting to firm, gently move the egg a little with your slotted spoon to make sure that it isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot. It is good set a timer so you don't end up with a too hard yolk. It takes practice!!

I know that in restaurants they make poached eggs and then hold them in hot water to be dished out. I've never tried this, but it would be a really useful accomplishment when you have several people to serve.

Lpink, you say when you put them into boiling water. As most everyone has said, you don't use boiling water or even simmering water. You want it to be just below the simmer. Linda's trick of turning the fire off when you put them in is a good one, but it's fine if you just keep the water from boiling. Some acid to the water can be helpful, but I just add salt like Lisbet. Also, when you say they spread all over the pan... that could be somewhat due to the water boiling, but it's more likely that the eggs aren't fresh enough. Next time try using eggs that have been just bought. Older eggs spread in the water because the whites are starting to break down.

To tell how fresh eggs are you put them in deep enough water so they can float. A 4cup measuring cup works well. The freshest eggs will sit on the bottom on their side. If they are sitting on the bottom but bobbing with large side up they are fine, just not as fresh. Suspended, a little less fresh, etc. Floating is not good. Smiles. You can also tell by breaking the egg onto a plate and seeing how the yolk mounds and how the white clings to the yolk. Older eggs have flatter yolks and the whites spread. Probably tmi....

Lisbet in restaurants you put the cooked eggs into cold/cool water. You want the cooking to stop. Then you just put them back into hot water to reheat. Takes about a minute to come back to the stage they were at when you first cooked them. Yes, it sure does come in handy. You can put quite a few back into a pan to reheat when you don't have to worry about forming them and such.

Poached eggs are my very favorite way to eat eggs. I have some fresh oatmeal bread that I POOF'd today. I think I'll have poached for lunch. Yum. Thanks for the idea.

Eggs might not come with a birth certificate, but the three digit Julian date on the carton is the packed-on date and is probably your best indication of age when shopping. I try to make sure this date is within the past week.

I always had trouble poaching eggs until I watched my father-in-law do it. No vinegar, no swirling, no barely simmering, he just gently cracked an egg into boiling water and amazingly it was much neater than anything I had ever attempted. Boy did I feel silly. I do prefer to deliver them via prep bowls though.

like lisbet's custard cup, and foodonastump's prep bown, I found delivering the egg to the pot via a prep bowl helps me keep it together. (the egg together!) I was taught to use a saucer, instead of a custard cup. I like the shape, the egg spreads a little, but not all over the pot. (and vinegar to the water, but yes, as ohers have said it does pick up a little vinegary taste).

like lisbet with the custard cup, I crack the egg in a saucer, bring the saucer right down to the water, and slide the egg in.

Like lisbet and bizzo, I use a saucer or custard cup and have the water just on the verge of boiling. I didn't know about the freshness issue. Now I do. If streamers of egg white form, use a spoon to nudge or fold them back into the egg before it is set. Small irregularities can be trimmed off for a perfect shape.

Jim

That the egg must be fresh...goes without saying! The boiling water is what breaks up and scatters the whites, so you want as little motion of the water as possible to cook the egg. I, also, drain on paper toweling.

Many thanks, "pinkmountain" for the cabbage recipe!

"coconut" Thanks for the correction on holding the poached eggs. Forgot that the holding water needs to be ice cold.

Here is a link that might be useful: Demonstration

Well as I always say "Live better electrically" and that goes for poaching eggs as well!!!
For perfect poached or boiled eggs each and every time you need a proper egg poacher. They come in stove top versions as well for those not wanting another plug in appliance. Mom always used one of these, we used to call them igloo eggs. I recall one time as a kid I was staying over at a friends place and his mom made poached eggs in boiling water. I'd never seen that before oh and it gave me the willies I shudder to think on it now. LOL
This little gem is about 50+ years old now just like me and perfect in every way LOL
It will also boil 6 eggs in the shell. It's controlled by how much water you add. Hard boiled eggs 5 teaspoons of water, less for soft etc.

My eggs were probably old. Yes, I would say at 48 I have old eggs, that's for sure!
:)
These eggs I tried poaching were of questionable origin. They were leftover from a weekend retreat I attended in Feb., they were the extras from the egg drop competition. Then they sat in my car for a few weeks. Mind yout it is winter here. Eggs keep better than most people think, something I learned from my camping days. But I would classify these eggs as "old" without a doubt. Plus I used boiling water. They were good, but not very cute. Beggars like me can't be too choosey!

Pkguy, that egg poacher is very groovy! Thanks for posting the cool picture!

Lou, your gizmo sounds just like the one I had. I finally got tired of packing it with all my moves, and it got scratched so the eggs kept sticking in it, so I think I just tossed it thinking--heck I can eat scrambled or fried eggs from now on. I am just not apparatus inclined.

I did like those poached eggs though--Orangette has them on all kinds of things so I might start copying her. I'm going to try with non-boiling water and fresher eggs next time.

As for me and meat, I'm sort of a "Flexitarian." I eat meat occasionally, but have no real taste for it. There are more than enough vegetarian dishes to keep me entertained in the kitchen and well fed. Also, meat spoils when left to languish in the fridge, which is what happens to stuff in my fridge a lot. Spoiled meat is a lot nastier and more subtle than moldy cottage cheese or mushy celery. I often get so busy during the week I can't get to things I planned on making. When I want a little smokey pork flavor I use fake meat or bacon bits. Not bad and less fat and cholesterol.

Thanks for the poaching tips. I think next time I'll have better results now that I know what to do.

Skip the water entirely! Here's what I do:

Crack an egg into a custard cup, cover loosely with a lid or plastic wrap and give it 13 seconds on high. Then give it another 13 seconds on high. Voila! A perfect egg with a soft, runny yolk, solid white, and not a single extra calorie because you don't even butter the custard cup. I eat them like that, right out of the cup, almost every day. 26 seconds til breakfast. Of course, you may have to tweek your seconds a bit from mine, but it's a foolproof method.

The eggs work perfectly placed on anything, too, from toast to hash.

Sherry

Hey Sherry, I forgot about that. I never microwave my eggs, but that's how my mom cooks hers...

pkguy:
The little pans with the handles are like the ones used ,
in a tiny pot, many moons ago.
Before the Electric Poachers, like your's came out.

My little pan would probably be an Antique now.

Lpinky:
If the eggs float in water when testing for freshness,
be ready to catch the Chick when you break it open.

They float on end because an air space builds up in the large end as it gets older.
The yoke is nourishment to the chick starting to grow.
I shouldn't be telling you all this.

If you want a sinmple way to Poach sunny side up.
Heat a Frying pan, put in about 3 tablespoons of water.
While it is bubbling, drop the egg in and put a small lid over it fast.
If you have some sort of a ring for a form, use it

Check after about 15 seconds, for doneness and if more water is needed.
Cook them just the way you like.

You will have a Steamed, Poached, Sunny Side Up egg.
Spaghetti Sauce can be used instead of water.
You can make mine, not too well done, for dipping.
- - - - - - - - - -
A while back we talked about cooking eggs in Spaghetti Sauce.
I was surprized how many did this. I thought I was the only nut who, cooked eggs this way.

Any other nuts listening?????

Lou

lpinkmountain,

That's okay; I can't make over-easy eggs. My DH always orders them when he eats breakfast out.

Sherry, I've never microwaved them - thanks; I'm going to try that.

OK, I have another confession to make, I can't really make omlette's either. Mine always come out scrambled eggs. A lot of it has to do with not having a good pan though. I have a passable one.

Lou, now I'm going to have to try eggs with spaghetti sauce. I have cooked them in mexican style spicy tomato sauce for huevos rancheros, one of my favorite breakfast dishes.

I'm imagining poached eggs in italian style tomato sauce, canelinni beans and greens over polenta.

For the omlette - yes, that pan is what's making it scrambled eggs. You're best off with a smooth non-stick pan that's in good condition. But beyond that, I find that after taking a couple tips from Alton Brown my omlettes are significantly better than before. You can look it up on foodtv but the gist of it is:

Start with room temperature eggs. If you're taking them straight out of the fridge place them in hot tap water for 5 minutes or so. Mix the eggs well but without incorporating air. I find a fork works better than a whisk. When you first dump the eggs in the pan, use a spatula to quickly stir them up for a bit before you let them sit. This evens out the cooking a bit.

Don't you need to heat the pan, too, get it good and hot? That's what works for me.

No.....an omelette shouldn't have any browned spots on it....and a hot pan will cook the outside while the inside stays raw.....like cooking a steak rare but browned on the outside.
Your pan needs to be just warm enough to set the white when you put the eggs in.

and Lpink, try the method with swirling the water in the pan to make an eddy before you slip in your egg. It keeps even an older egg together. I learned that many many years from a Julia Child doing a demo on TV.
Linda c

Linda's got it nailed. I love poached eggs and do the whirlpool method into a slow simmer. Omelettes need to be cooked on low heat. I cover mine with a lid. I have a lovely Cuisinart non-stick omelette pan that was a gift from my sister that is the perfect shape for easy of folding it over. I also use a very thin flexible spatula that I found at Marshalls one day.

Eggs don't benefit from high heat, they tend to get tough.

Pinky:
I poach them in Spaghetti Sauce for dipping.
Are your Marbles clicking together in Sync ???

You could enter that in the other thread ,
" Eating Foods that are ODD to others."
Eggs, Greens, and Beans over Polenta.

You should try the Steamed Egg with the Lid thing.
Your DH may like them. Looks like a Shiny " over light "
- - - - -

At one time I had a this steel frying pan just for eggs.
They never stuck. Then coated pans came along.
The steel pan dissapeared.

Bizzo:
She doesn't do them in the shell, does she ???

Lou