Tips for Poaching an Egg

Have you tried poaching in a ramekin or with vinegar?

I'f you don't mind doing them one at a time, I used to use a ladle to do mine. lol

Briskly swirl the water before you gently lower each egg into the middle. The mini whirlpool helps retain form, as does the vinegar.

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Do not put the eggs in until you have a full rolling boil. Just crack the egg in the water

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I wouldn't advise dropping the eggs into a full rolling boil, and as mentioned, use a ramekin with each egg.

If it's not a rolling boil, you chance over poaching the yolk before the whites are firm enough to remove from the water. You will basically slow cook the entire egg.

OK...just offering suggestions. Do it your way.

No vinegar? How long do you let them cook, for say a medium center?

The most important factor when poaching eggs is using the freshest eggs possible. As with most food proteins, the quality of an egg begins to immediately break down once they leave their natural habitat. Over time the protein in eggs (ovalbumin) slowly breaks down & loses its structural integrity. Eggs should have a nice semi-spherical yolk surrounded by a significant sized globular white. To test the freshness of eggs place them individually one @ a time into a large bowl filled with cold water. The rule of thumb is if the egg; sinks to the bottom and lays flat, it is about three to six days old (perfect for poaching. Sinks, but floats at a slight angle, it's more than a week old (still ok for poaching). Sinks, but stands on end, it's about two weeks old (not a good choice for poaching). If it completely floats, it's too old and shouldn't be used at all for poaching.