Boiling eggs, soft to hard
Beginner Eggs and butter
Boiling eggs, soft to hard is cooking eggs in their shells in simmering water, timed for a runny, jammy or fully set yolk.
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How do you do it?
- Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil, enough to cover the eggs by 1 inch.
- Lower cold eggs in with a spoon and turn the heat down to a steady simmer.
- Time it: about 6 minutes for runny, 7 to 8 for jammy, 10 to 12 for fully hard.
- Move the eggs straight into a bowl of ice water for at least 5 minutes, then peel.
Why does it work?
The white sets at a lower temperature than the yolk, so time controls how far the heat reaches the center. The ice bath stops the cooking and shrinks the egg slightly away from the shell, which helps peeling.
What are the common mistakes?
- Boiling too hard — eggs crack and the whites turn rubbery.
- Skipping the ice bath — yolks overcook and get a green-gray ring.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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