Shell shocked: Chinese boiled egg that time forgot turns into blood-red ‘ruby’ (2024)

Shell shocked: Chinese woman stunned by translucent 20-year-old boiled egg that time forgot which turned into a blood-red ‘ruby’

A carefully kept, two-decades-old boiled chicken egg which over time has turned into a “ruby” has amazed Chinese social media.

The keeper of the 20-year-old egg, surnamed Fu, shared her precious fossil on social media platform Douban and it soon attracted the attention of curious online observers, with one nicknaming it “the pharaoh egg”.

Translucent, it is of the size of a pistachio nut and feels like a hard plastic ball.

Fu told the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald on March 7 that when held against the light, the egg turns breathtakingly blood red, revealing with many delicate cracks showing from inside.

From eastern China’s Shandong province, Fu said her mother bought her the egg because it was “exceptionally small” 20 years ago while she was in primary school, and boiled it for her to eat at school the next morning.

Having completely forgotten about it for three days, Fu said she dared not eat it fearing it might have gone bad. However, the small egg was so cute that she put it above the refrigerator instead of throwing it away.

When she remembered to check on it two months later, she discovered the egg had surprisingly turned into a “ruby”.

Fu then kept it carefully in a jewellery box she found at home.

Shell shocked: Chinese boiled egg that time forgot turns into blood-red ‘ruby’ (2)

The box containing the “egg ruby” sat forgotten in a corner of Fu’s home before her mother rediscovered it recently.

Fu suggested to curious online observers that the egg may have developed the way it did due to the cold, dry winter conditions in the area where she lives.

Many showed their appreciation of the beautiful wonder.

“Thank you, I might never have had the chance to see an egg like this had you not posted this!” said one.

“Time has turned the egg into a gemstone,”another commented poetically,

A third joked that the post had helped him discover a business opportunity: “If I boil some eggs now, will I become rich in 20 years?”

Shell shocked: Chinese boiled egg that time forgot turns into blood-red ‘ruby’ (3)

Shell shocked: Chinese boiled egg that time forgot turns into blood-red ‘ruby’ (2024)

FAQs

Shell shocked: Chinese boiled egg that time forgot turns into blood-red ‘ruby’? ›

A carefully kept, two-decades-old boiled egg has turned into a "ruby". The keeper of the 20-year-old egg is called Fu. When held up to the light, Fu's translucent egg turns blood-red.

What is the 20 year old boiled egg? ›

The keeper of the 20-year-old egg, surnamed Fu, shared her precious fossil on social media platform Douban and it soon attracted the attention of curious online observers, with one nicknaming it “the pharaoh egg”. Translucent, it is of the size of a pistachio nut and feels like a hard plastic ball.

Why do you shock hard-boiled eggs? ›

Shocking your recently boiled eggs by submerging them into a bowl of ice water is key. The quick cooling of the hard-boiled eggs causes the egg whites to contract, freeing them from the membrane. If you let them cool for about 15 minutes, the peeling is much easier.

How long does it take to shock eggs? ›

Leave eggs in the ice bath for 10+ minutes to allow for thorough cooling/easy peeling (you can place them under running cold water instead, but without the cold shock from the ice bath, you may have a harder time peeling, especially if your eggs are farm fresh like ours).

What happened to the egg that was heated? ›

When it is heated the runny yolk and white (albumen – which is the major source of protein) turn solid. The proteins in the egg start to thicken, a process known as coagulation. Egg whites coagulate at 60°C, egg yolks 65°C, with full coagulation occurring at 70°C. This process also happens when you cook meat.

What is a 100 year old egg made of? ›

A century egg is a cured duck egg. They are made by putting the egg in a mix of clay, salt, quicklime, and ash. A century egg is not really 100 years old.

Are 100 year old eggs safe to eat? ›

Century eggs prepared in traditional ways are generally safe to consume. However, there have been incidents of malpractice in century egg production that causes eggs to be contaminated.

Can I leave boiled eggs in water overnight? ›

You can keep the boiled eggs in the water for up to 2 hours to let them stay hard and then store them in your refrigerator.

Why put eggs in cold water before boiling? ›

Starting with cold water lets you heat the egg more slowly, which keeps the whites from getting rubbery. But this method takes longer and gives you less control over the cooking time. (How long it takes the water to reach boiling depends on the size and shape of your pot, among other things.)

Why poke a hole in an egg before boiling? ›

Use a pin to punch a small hole at the widest end of the egg. If you do not have a pin, a paring knife can be used by gently poking the egg shell with the tip and twisting the knife. The purpose of this step is to help air escape from the egg when cooking, resulting in a perfectly round shape.

Why is an egg kicked out of a bottle when air is blown inside the bottle? ›

When air is blown into the bottle through the side, the air pressure inside the bottle will increase and will push the egg and excess air out of the 'mouth of the bottle'.

Why is everyone freezing their eggs? ›

Having your eggs extracted and stored for future use (called cryopreservation) may give you the best chance of conceiving later on, especially if you're facing a medical treatment — such as chemotherapy, treatment of severe endometriosis or gender affirming surgery — or a health condition such as an autoimmune disease ...

Why did hard boiled egg explode? ›

But if the egg is reheated and the temperature of the yolk skyrockets, those tiny pockets of water can start to boil — leading to a potential explosion. And those explosions aren't exactly quiet.

Are 20 day old eggs safe to eat? ›

Eggs are a delicious, nutritious protein source. While each carton of eggs is marked with an expiration date, if properly stored at 40°F or lower, they should be safe to eat for longer—usually two to three weeks past the expiration date.

What is the lifespan of a boiled egg? ›

How To Safely Store Hard-Boiled Eggs. According to the Food and Drug Administration, you can keep hard-cooked eggs in the refrigerator for up to seven days after they have been cooked. 1 And it doesn't matter whether the eggs are already peeled or still in the shell. Either way, they will last for a week.

What does a century egg taste like? ›

A century egg tastes rich, complex, and pungent, like ripe blue cheese with a very faint hint of ammonia. (A spoiled century egg has a strong ammonia scent.) The texture of its white (which the treatment turns amber or black) is gelatinous, and its yolk is soft.

How to make a 100 year old egg? ›

Century eggs take about 4-5 weeks to make, a few minutes to work up the courage to open, and a few seconds to eat. Traditionally century eggs were made by preserving chicken or duck eggs in a mixture of salt, lime and ash, then wrapping in rice husks for several weeks.

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