Scientists crack the code: Perfect eggs with periodic cooking
It appears that cooking eggs is a subject that captivates not only enthusiasts of nutritious breakfasts. I'm not referring to chefs either. Scientists from the University of Naples in Italy have examined this matter. Ernesto Di Maio and his colleagues discovered a method to cook perfect eggs—with well-set whites and creamy yolks. Analyses have demonstrated that not only do they taste the best, but they also contain the most nutritional value.
The editorial team of Newsweek.pl references the findings of the Italian scientists, published in "Nature Communications Engineering." The researchers employed a method known as periodic cooking to prepare the eggs. Indeed, serving breakfast using this method would require at least 32 minutes. However, it must be mentioned that the results of the study are impressive.
How do alternately cooked eggs taste?
Eggs cooked using this special "scientific" method were served for tasting to eight people along with other eggs cooked in the traditional way—hard-boiled, soft-boiled, and sous vide (long cooking at a low temperature). Emilia Di Lorenzo, co-author of the study, is thrilled with the consistency of the resulting yolk:
Hundreds of trials, analyses, and calculations by scientists resulted in an egg whose white's consistency was similar to that of a soft-boiled egg, while the yolk resembled the effect of the sous vide method.
Eggs cooked for 32 minutes
The scientists achieved the aforementioned result in the following way—they repeatedly moved the eggs between two containers. One had boiling water—at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius, and the other warm water at 30 degrees Celsius. Every two minutes, the eggs were moved in a basket between the boiling and warm water. This cycle was repeated eight times.
Periodically heated and cooled, the white eventually fully set, and the yolk cooked at a consistent temperature, allowing for a creamy consistency.
The impact of cooking on egg nutritional values
Eggs cooked by this method retained their full nutritional values. Until now, it was believed that as cooking time increases, the nutritional values of the eggs decrease. However, it turns out that not only time but also the temperature of heat processing is crucial. Cyclic cooling of the eggs allowed retaining everything precious in the yolk, including lecithin, which inhibits cholesterol absorption.
You can read about how not only the yolk but also the white contains valuable substances in an article about which part of the egg is healthier.
