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Boiled Eggs

The following general rules for boiling eggs are useful:

Be sure the eggs are fresh beyond suspicion. Limed or cold storage eggs may be used in other ways but are not satisfactory boiled.

To Put Eggs to Boil-Have ready a saucepan or shallow kettle of boiling water; put each egg in gently with a spoon, allowing the spoon to touch the bottom of the pan before withdrawing it, so as to prevent the egg from dropping and cracking.

Time-For very soft boiled eggs, two minutes; soft boiled, three minutes; medium soft, three and three-fourths to four minutes; hard, six or seven minutes is the general time, but it is said that if boiled forty-five minutes the yolk of the egg will be mealy and perfectly digestible. Extra large eggs require an extra one-half minute. Eggs boiled for salad should be boiled fifteen minutes and then cooled in a basin of water to shrink the meat from the shell. Roll them on the table under the hand to crackle the shells which will then peel off very easily.

BOILED EGGS: MOST NUTRITIOUS METHODS-There are two methods of cooking eggs considered superior to the ordinary method of boiling. They are as follows:

First Method-Place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water and when the water boils the eggs are done; this will take about ten minutes. Second Method-For six eggs use a vessel that will hold two quarts. Fill it with boiling water, cover it closely, and stand it in a warm place for ten minutes.

For one or two eggs keep in hot water for only five minutes. In this way the eggs will be cooked equally well in every part. If the eggs are desired more thoroughly done, let them stand in the hot water ten or even twenty minutes longer, but not on the range Serve in a folded napkin.

POACHED (OR DROPPED) EGGS-Break the eggs one at a time, into a saucer. Place water in a saucepan, salt 't well, and when it is simmering, drop each egg lightly in, cooking but one egg at a time if the saucepan is small. More may be cooked at once by using a large frying-pan. Some cooks set muffin-rings in the water to give the egg an even shape, poaching them inside the rings. An egg-poacher is very convenient for this work. A spoonful of vinegar in the water will keep the eggs from spreading. With a small spoon throw the water carefully on the top of each egg to whiten it. The beauty of a poached egg is for the yolk to be seen blushing through the white, which should be just sufficiently hardened to form a veil for the yolk. When cooked enough, take out the egg with a perforated ladle, trim off the ragged edges, and slip it on a small, thin piece of buttered toast. When all the eggs are cooked and placed on their separate pieces of toast, place on each a bit of butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Poached eggs are often placed in beef soup, one egg being prepared for each person at table. They are also served on thin slices of boiled ham, and also on a Welsh rarebit. Delmonico, when serving poached eggs on toast, sprinkles sorrel over the top.