How Weather Impacts Your Boiled Eggs
An alternative to the very same egg is the soft boiled egg, either just barely soft or, alternatively, very soft, which can be also be served over a breakfast bread. While on a recent trip and without access to our own eggs, we acquired farm fresh eggs from a farmer. However, we learned a few things that should be elaborated on in addition to the piece on Perfectly Boiled Eggs.
One of these is probably already obvious: elevation matters. However, another challenge came into play I hadn't recently anticipated - weather will often affect the outcome of your eggs, particularly low pressure systems. Although weather won't necessarily ruin your eggs, if you are expecting a particular outcome or don't care for runny whites in the case of soft boiled eggs, it is a factor to take into consideration.
The general rule for a soft boiled egg placed in gently boiling water is 4 minutes at about a 300 foot elevation. For every 200 feet additional elevation, add about 15 seconds. Now, the really tricky part of the equation is your current weather. If you have a high pressure system, stay with what typically work best for you. If you are in a low pressure system, add about another 15 seconds to your boiling time. Very low pressure, try another 15 seconds.
The same will hold true for a hard boiled egg that you truly want hard boiled. You will want to boil your egg for some additional time. However, be careful not to overboil your eggs which makes them hard, rubbery and rather tasteless.