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On 02 Jul 2009 07:26:58 GMT, wrote:

>I have an odd, and probably very elementary question, but please
>bear with me.
>
>I put a few eggs into boiling water to hard-boil them. Within about
>30 seconds, I heard a very loud CRACK! noise, looked in the pot and
>saw one of the eggs losing its contents into the water. At the end
>of the boiling period, there was a moderate sized hole in the shell
>of that egg, and it was floating, so probably mostly empty.
>
>I've had eggs crack and lose some of their contents before, but never
>with so much force, making such a loud noise. Has anyone had this
>experience before? It makes me wonder whether something was wrong
>with the egg, eg, maybe it was spoiled, and pressure from gas inside
>the shell (from bacteria) caused it to crack really forcefully. Can't
>say I've ever heard of this happening, though.
>
>They were in the refrigerator prior to being put into the boiling
>water, but that's always the case when I boil eggs (which I do very
>regularly). Also, I usually put salt into the water before adding
>the eggs, which helps keep them from cracking, but I'd forgotten this
>time.
>
>I realize this post is a little weird and might end up fodder for
>jokes, but I'm actually a bit phobic about food poisoning, so I'd
>appreciate at least a *few* serious answers.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Joyce

With the internal expansion triggered by that plunge from the
refrigerator into boiling water, I'm surprised that all your eggs
don't crack.
Here's a method that will work flawlessly and has the added benefit of
making even hen-house-fresh eggs peel easily. Another plus, there's
never a black or greenish ring around the yolk either.

Steam them.
Put an inch or two of water in a pot.
Place eggs in a suitable container like a colander or veggie steamer
that will fit in the pot. Do not let the water touch the eggs.
Cover the pot.
Bring the water to a boil.
Continue boiling for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and time for another 10 minutes.
Fill the pot with cold water.
Take the eggs one by one and crack all over with the back of a spoon
then toss them back in the cold water.
Start peeling once all the eggs are cracked and the shells will slip
off easily.

Ross.