Ishan wanted to see if his eggs could really cook sunny side up during the sizzling weather over the past few days – and he was left completely floored by the result
For ages, there’s been rumours that when temperatures soar, you can actually fry an egg on the pavement using nothing but the hot weather to make it cook. With the recent heatwave sending thermometers through the roof across the UK, one curious soul put this old wives’ tale to the test.
TikTok user Ishan, who goes by ishxn.a on the platform, was eager to see if his eggs could genuinely sizzle to perfection under the blistering sun over these past few days, and the outcome left him gobsmacked. During his trial, he mentioned it was about 33°C in London, sparking his curiosity about the fate of his egg.
In a video he shared with his followers, he declared: “I want to know if I can fry an egg using only the sun. So, of course I have to put some oil on to my little saucepan to help it fry a little bit because, listen, the last thing I want is for an egg to stick to this pan.
“Of course, I had to do the one-handed egg crack, but I am so intrigued to see if this actually works or not. So let’s come back in an hour.”
Returning to his makeshift outdoor kitchen after an hour, he found the yolk had mysteriously “popped.” Not much else had changed, prompting him to give it another hour.
Two hours in, he confessed the egg was looking rather sorry for itself. He did observe a bit of whitening, which gave him a glimmer of hope, so he decided to extend the experiment by another hour.
Despite his best efforts, his attempt to fry an egg in the blistering heatwave ended in a bit of a soggy mess just three hours later, as he declared it looked a “state.” He observed that the egg seemed watery and the yolk was less than impressive.
Wrapping up his culinary adventure, he concluded that frying an egg during a scorcher might not be on the cards, but it was a fun experiment to test out. His video of the test, which was shared online, quickly attracted a flurry of comments.
One viewer exclaimed: “That egg is nothing that I expected.” Another quipped: “Look how thick the pan is though.”
A third chimed in with a cheeky jab, adding: “Bro has got too much time on his hands.” Someone else also suggested: “Put it in a car.”
Can the sun really cook an egg?
To whip up a cooked egg, temperatures need to soar to about 158°F and, despite heatwaves turning up the thermostat, UK surfaces like pavements or car dashboards don’t typically hit those sizzling heights.
Eggs require a specific heat to transform from raw to ready-to-eat. The whites start firming up at around 144°F (62°C), and yolks usually follow suit at around 149°F (65°C).
During a heatwave, spots like sidewalks and car dashboards can become scorching hot, theoretically hitting the warm temperatures needed to cook an egg. But these conditions aren’t always reliable or a sure bet.
Moreover, it’s worth noting that, even if you manage to cook an egg in the sweltering heat, it’s not advisable due to the risk of bacteria flourishing at warm temperatures.
