Eggs ... Coals only.

[qwazse]

On our winter survival weekend this morning , I tried to cook an egg in coals (no paper cup, or anything.) to cook it in. I figured if I cracked the top, it would allow steam to come out the top. I then buried it in coals. It took far longer for the yoke to cook than I would have expected. Shells are great insulators!

 

Any suggestions on how to do it better next time?

Edited December 13, 2015 by qwazse

[Stosh]

Hmmm, winter survival you say????

 

Where did one find an egg in the dead of winter?  If in the local produce section, stop and buy a paper cup while you're there. 

 

I seriously think that if one were to survive in the winter, looking for eggs would be rather futile.

 

I could be wrong, so if one does find a unfozen egg in a snowbank somewhere, I would heat up a flat rock and then cook on it.

 

Cooking in coals needs to be tempered with the idea that ash is the inslulator, not the shell.  2 sticks suspended over the coals, roll the egg back and forth along the two parallel sticks.  One doesn't need much heat, only 212-degrees, the same as boiling water.  The egg will not explode on the lower temperature and cook just fine.  If you do over it it, it will explode....  Seriously explode, like egg on everything within 10' of the egg.

Edited December 14, 2015 by Stosh

[RememberSchiff]

Could be deer eggs. 

[qwazse]

@@Stosh, as warm and dry as this weekend was, they boys may as well have built a chicken coop instead of a survival shelter!

 

Thanks for the tip, and the advice on exploding. You know, now every boy who reads this page is going to try it!

 

@@RememberSchiff there wasn't to much browse (oddly: lots of oaks, no acorns) where we camped. So no deer eggs. The SM and I did find some bear scat up the hill.

[Eagledad]

Since my wife does most of the cooking, I asked her for advice with your question. Ok, she's an accountant, what does she know?

 

As and engineer, I enjoy working on these kinds of experiments. I had never thought about cooking an egg in the coals, but there was a time I was trying something similar with the microwave. It seems our results kind of parallel. I found that there is a small window of time where the egg whites get cooked but not the yoke. Pull the egg out of the microwave (coals) before they explode and let it sit a couple minutes while the heat of the egg whites cooks the yoke. It's easier to find that window on the microwave because it cooks consistently, but we are men trying to save the world one small step at a time and have persistence. I look forward to learning your results.

 

Barry

[Stosh]

One has to remember the heat source involved. 

 

Warm air above the fire is a lot "cooler" than the intense heat of the coals.  I am surprised with burying the eggs, you didn't get an explosion.  The whole idea of the "hard boiled" egg is cooking it slowly.  One can scramble an egg on a hot griddle in less than a minute, but it takes 5+ minutes to hard boil an egg.  The scrambled egg will vent off steam, an unbroken shell can't.  The explosion arises from heat that will generate steam within the egg causing the pressure against the shell.  It's a little like gunpowder.  in exposed air, it just fizzles, but confine it in anything even a small pipe, and it's going to explode.  It's that build up of pressure you need worry about.

 

Rolling the egg above the cool heat above the coals, gives a slow even heat which you are interested in getting. 

 

The microwave issue is really tricky because everything I have ever read is NEVER put an unbroken egg in a microwave, unless you own it and the wife is out of town for the 2-3 days it's going to take to clean it up.  The recommended method of "boiling" an egg in a microwave is to crack the egg into a small microwave safe bowl, pierce the yoke with a toothpick and then cook.  The major problem with microwaves is they cannot provide even heat like stoves, ovens, and even campfires.  This is why they have the rotating carosels in them.  If you ever wonder how this work, put a cup of milk in and watch it foam.  One half will foam and the other won't, inside an egg, you will have a boiling egg and the other side raw.  You have no idea the mess that happens under that condition.  I don't remember if it was you or someone else that was wondering about test to destruction, but this would be a very impressive and exciting option for that activity. 

 

Low heat (212 degrees) and a long span of time.  Rolling the egg on two sticks will take the full 5 minutes as would boiling

 

Seriously, it doesn't take much heat to cook an egg.  You can be assured that on a hot day in the sun on a dark surface, yes, you can fry and egg.    Same will hold true for a fire heated flat rock.

[desertrat77]

Dusting off the grey cells....

 

I recall a photo from my old Fieldbook (second edition, early '70s).   They cooked an egg on a spit.   The spit was a sliver of wood, whittled square so the egg would turn.   Tiny holes, opposite ends of egg.   Sliver thru the egg.   Spit rests on tiny "Ys" over the coals.   Gently turn every so often.

 

Never attempted it but the photo is etched in my mind.

[Stosh]

@@desertrat77

 

I remember that as well.  A bit messy and difficult to get the holes small, square and non-leaking.  It would solve the problem of piercing the yoke and venting the steam if not as careful as one shoud be.

 

A 5 minute balancing act over the fire with two sticks is a challenge as well.  I've done it, but if one is looking for a 2 egg breakfast, it could take a while. 

[desertrat77]

Stosh, as I reflect, it would be best to carry an orange as well as an egg, so one can have the benefit of Vit C plus a natural container to cook the egg!

[JoeBob]

Why cook an egg at all?  The best egg ever is consumed raw, in a pint of Guinness.

[cchoat]

Ah Desertrat 77,

 

You brought back memories of my OA Ordeal.   A match, half an orange, slice a bread and a raw egg. 

 

As for Guiness JoeBob, I don't think we can serve that on a Scouting activity.  (And I would prefer my Guiness egg free please) 

[Stosh]

On any of the survival training events, the first thing they tell you is that there are no rules, just survival.  If that be the case... SKOAL!

[desertrat77]

A pint (or two) of Guinness would greatly improve morale.   The egg:   given a choice, I'd prefer it fried.   Between toast.   With half a pound of bacon.  

[JoeBob]

"What do you want?  An egg in your beer?"  was an expression used in deriding getting something for nothing.  I believe its origins are in WWII GIs using raw eggs to make the room temperature pub drafts more palatable to American tastes.  Any verification for the Brits on the board?

[SSScout]

I also remember a Fieldbook recipe of coating the egg with mud, then placing in hot coals and rotating every few minutes.