[frantique]

After posting a topic last week about the exceptional heat we're experiencing north of Sydney in Australia, I thought I'd conduct a little experiment to see how long it takes and in fact if it would, to cook an egg in the dirt in my backyard (which used to be lawn up until this summer).

At 3.00 pm with the temperature in the shade of the back verandah at 42 celsius (108 f) and probably around 45 c (113 f) in the sun I chose an area on the dirt with a little valley in which to break the egg. A lot of the albumin (white part) immediately soaked into the dirt, however the yolk was surrounded by a small pool of albumin. I checked it regularly for about an hour and the white had not cooked. I didn't touch the yolk.

I just checked it again at 5.10 pm (the area is now covered by shade from a nearby tree) with the temp in the shade now 40 c (104 f) and all the albumin has soaked into the dirt and the yolk is sitting up very pert and totally cooked!

I guess that proves what I have suspected for a while ...... it's bloody hot outside!

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Hi Fran,
Pictures? Or do I need an egg?

Edited by sarahw, 20 January 2007 - 03:42 AM.

[sarahw]

Hi Fran,
Pictures? Or do I need an egg?

Edited by sarahw, 20 January 2007 - 03:42 AM.

[frantique]

Oh Sarahw what a wonderful idea. Just went outside and took a couple of snaps (at 35 minutes past midnight!) with the new camera that I received from my children for Christmas. I haven't loaded the software onto the comp yet so can't post them just yet ... however will do so in the next few days.

(Sorry, Sarahw ... got a bit excited about taking the pics and didn't read your response properly!!!)

Edited by frantique, 20 January 2007 - 07:42 AM.

[warriorscot]

You should stick a large rock or slab outside and try it on that might make a better photo. If you just hook the camera to the PC it should auto detect and come up as a removable drive(well most cameras do) with jpeg files on it and you can just upload them straight to the site.

[sarahw]

I would recommend resizing them first.

[frantique]

Here are the pics:

These were taken just after midnight. In the 2nd there is an area around the yolk where the albumin has not quite soaked in and then a further area where it soaked in immediately. Notice the 'perkiness' of the yolk.
[attachment=12736:attachment] [attachment=12737:attachment]

These two pics I took the following morning, I think around 10 am or so when it was about 38 Celsius (100F). The little bit of albumin left had actually cooked in the morning sun. The yolk was still standing up pert and had a couple of peck marks on top. About thirty minutes later I went out and the yolk was gone - don't know if it was the birds or my pooch!
[attachment=12738:attachment] [attachment=12739:attachment]

Oh, well, bit of fun in the sun! Warriorscot, I thought about putting something hard down like a cast iron pan or piece of aluminium and giving them time to heat up first, however, decided against it because I knew the soil was very hot and really wanted to see just how hot it was.

Edited by frantique, 22 January 2007 - 07:58 AM.

[frantique]

Edit: Hmm you are right Sarahw I'll have to resize