The Key To Making Eggs Smell Less Terrible When Cooking

If you enjoy boiled eggs but hate that dreaded smell, it is time to bring your "egg game." The scent as well as the unattractive greenish-gray yolk ring are both the result of overcooking eggs, especially hard-boiled eggs. To prevent that smell, avoid overcooking them. When you get it right, you will understand why boiling is one of the most popular ways to prepare eggs.

To ensure that you don't overcook your hardboiled eggs, you want to bring your eggs to a roiling boil instead of a full-blown boil. You should also use a pan big enough to fit all of your eggs without stacking them and cold water as well. Once your water reaches a roiling boil, limit your cook time to just one minute before turning off the stove and allowing your eggs to sit. The eggs will continue to cook as they cool but won't overcook.

Alternatively, you could use an egg timer and allow your eggs to cook for a set amount of time. Soft boil eggs will generally take around three to five minutes while hard-boiled eggs can take seven to eight minutes.

If you are curious why that fresh egg can develop such a nasty scent, think of it as a mini science experiment. The unpleasant scent comes from a chemical reaction during the cooking process, according to Chemical and Engineering News. The egg whites contain 50 mg of sulfur. The yolks also contain a little sulfur as well as iron and other vitamins, minerals, and natural compounds. When cooking, the sulfur and iron react creating that unpleasant sulfuric scent. The same compounds also contribute to the "rotten egg" smell that happens from the egg going bad.

While these tips can help you make the perfect boiled egg, you can also avoid that unpleasant smell if you're cooking eggs a different way. If you're scrambling your eggs, consider cooking them at a lower temperature to avoid overcooking. If you are poaching eggs, try adding a splash of vinegar or lemon juice since this can help prevent the chemical reaction that causes the overcooked smell.