My old head chef in Chicago swore by adding a splash of vinegar to the water for poaching eggs.

He said it made the whites set faster and cleaner, and for years I did it without question. Last month, I read a serious food science article that said the acid actually weakens the protein bonds and makes the whites more watery and tough. I tried a side-by-side test with a dozen eggs, and the article was RIGHT. Has anyone else had a kitchen 'rule' from a mentor completely debunked?

3 comments

3 Comments

sam_harris684d ago

Wait, didn't that same food science guy say the real trick is using the freshest eggs you can find? I read that older eggs have thinner whites that spread more, so maybe the vinegar thing was a band-aid for not-so-great eggs. It's wild how these old kitchen hacks get passed down. Makes you wonder what else we're doing just because someone told us to.

danieljenkins4d ago

Overthink it much? It's a poached egg, not a chemistry experiment. Fresh eggs are great and all, but most people aren't buying farm fresh eggs from a neighbor. They're grabbing a carton from the grocery store that's already a week old. The vinegar trick works fine for regular eggs. If you're stressing about egg age and acidity levels just to make breakfast, you're way overcomplicating things.

gavin_mason314d ago

You know, I used to think the same way as you, but @sam_harris68 has a point that got me thinking about how many of these old tricks we just accept without question. I might have to give the fresher eggs a try next time and see if it really makes that big of a difference.