Settled in a seaside hotel during a late fall vacation, I had a quick breakfast overlooking the Pacific Ocean and brought back a few things for a family member, including hard-boiled eggs.
The innocuous shelled white orbs from the breakfast bar heat easily and are a great protein fix to start the day. As my wife prefers eggs warm, into the microwave they went.
A little salt. And then … a loud pop.
Actually, a mild explosion.
When I turned around, my wife had slumped, pulling shards of super-heated yolk and egg white from her gums. What didn’t end up in her face landed like buckshot across the room, pieces even hitting the walls.
After a quick triage of ice compresses, we researched what to do, debating going to the ER. Apparently “exploding eggs” is a thing. That’s why this misadventure is being shared − as a warning.
“Weirdly enough, reheating a hard boiled egg in a microwave is a hazard. Hard-boiled eggs explode in the microwave because a boiled egg still has moisture inside, allowing steam to build up in the yolk,” according to simplyrecipes.com.
Even shelled, and removed from the microwave, the molten yolk, similar to the earth’s core, can force itself to the surface, erupting without warning.
In our case, there was a swelled Vesuvius-like cheek and blisters. We found a face mask and the swelling subsided over a few days.
What are the risks of heating up hard-boiled eggs?
Dr. Erika Kube, an OhioHealth emergency room doctor, was surprised.
“I haven’t heard of that happening before − but it makes sense that it could. I think you did the right thing to just provide supportive care until the burns healed up,” she said in an email.
“Yes, it is a dangerous thing to do and could be life-threatening if certain things happen,” said Dr. Warren Yamarick, ER medical director at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. “If it goes to the back of the throat, and toward the trachea and larynx, that could close off the airway.”
Medical experts say that mouth tissue generally heals itself within a few days. Blisters, thuogh, can become infected if not cleaned or treated properly.
And the blast itself, while short, can be as loud as a jet engine, according to Sciencenews.org.
A Reddit thread included similar stories:
“My fiancé just had this happen today. It exploded and burned his lip badly when he bit into it.”
“My grandmother microwaved a whole peeled egg and it exploded as she bit into it … Now when any of us travel and see those hotel microwaves with that “don’t microwave hard boiled eggs” signs, we send her a picture lol.”
Sure enough, shelled, cooked eggs at Kroger have warnings on the package: DO NOT MICROWAVE.
As with whole potatoes, it’s suggested to pierce them first with a fork before nuking. Or cut them in half to reheat. These steps can prevent truly deviled eggs. In our case, it was a terrifying, but cool-in-a-way, lesson in thermodynamics and culinary arts.
dnarciso@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Did you know hard-boiled eggs can explode? Here’s what to know
Reporting by Dean Narciso, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
