In the world of cooking, there are small tricks that can make our food more delicious and tempting. Today, we will talk about the reasons why you need to use a toothpick to prick holes in the egg whites and yolks when cooking poached eggs in the microwave.
First, let's understand what this practice meant in the first place. Use a toothpick to prick holes in the egg whites and yolks, mainly to prevent the eggs from exploding in the microwave. Sounds incredible, right? But it's true. When the egg is heated, the yolk and egg white will expand, and if they cannot expand freely, the pressure will build up inside the egg, eventually causing the egg to explode.
So, why is this happening? It has to do with the chemical structure of the egg. The main component of an egg is protein, and when the protein is heated, its molecules start to move and the gap increases, causing the volume of the protein to expand. This is called "protein denaturation" and is a very important step in the process of boiling eggs.
You may have questions like this:
Why not prick the hole with a needle instead of a toothpick?
This is because toothpicks are safer than needles and less likely to cause accidental injuries. Just imagine, if you accidentally punctured your finger while boiling an egg, wouldn't it be worth the loss?
Now that we understand the reasons for this practice, let's understand it in a more vivid and interesting way. You can think of this process as "massaging" the egg, allowing it to breathe freely while it is heated, thus avoiding "exploding" due to excessive pressure.
Finally, let's answer a question related to the article:
Why do eggs explode in the microwave but not in a boiling pot?
This is because microwaves heat up differently than cooking pots. A microwave oven heats food by heating the water molecules in the food, whereas a cooking pot heats the food by heating the bottom of the pan. As a result, when an egg is heated in the microwave, the moisture inside cannot evaporate quickly, resulting in pressure build-up and eventually an explosion.
In general, prick the egg whites and yolks with a toothpick to prevent the eggs from exploding in the microwave. This small gesture will not only save us from a kitchen disaster, but also make our poached eggs even more delicious. So, the next time you're boiling poached eggs, remember to grab a toothpick and give your eggs a "massage"!