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The albumen of my hard boiled eggs turned purple. What would cause this and is it ok to consume?

Judy Myers
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    Can I say "pics or it didn't happen"? :) – Marti Feb 16 '16 at 23:37
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    Can't find any mention of purple egg whites except in reference to pickling them in beet juice. You are certain you didn't have any beet juice in the water? – Sobachatina Feb 17 '16 at 06:42
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    The only similar reference I've found is green eggs and ham. Not helpful, but fun. Don't eat purple eggs. But if you survive after – let us know :) – Lex Podgorny Oct 11 '16 at 23:34
  • Food colouring? – verbose Jan 12 '17 at 20:08
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    My daughter cracked a raw egg and the inside of the shell was purple. That actual egg was purple as well. It was very runny. The black blob in the pan in the background is the egg. It’s between the two normal eggs. [purple egg](https://i.stack.imgur.com/AhYhB.jpg) – Carolyn Jones Jan 10 '18 at 12:50
  • my mom boiled an egg a while ago and she peeled it today.. the part that’s suppose to be white was purple! [here's a photo](https://i.stack.imgur.com/r6TWO.jpg) – Jeana Feb 12 '18 at 14:00

3 Answers3

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Everything you need to know: Google for "Purple Deviled eggs".

But if you didn't pickle it, then beware.

Pink or iridescent egg white (albumen) indicates spoilage due to Pseudomonas bacteria. Some of these microorganisms—which produce a greenish, fluorescent, water-soluble pigment—are harmful to humans.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture

Stephie
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John David
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  • Welcome! We really prefer for answers to stand on their own, so it's fine if you want to tell someone to google something for more information, but it'd be better if you made the point directly in your answer too. – Cascabel Jan 12 '17 at 16:40
  • John, welcome! I fixed the link for you, the source was not accessible for me and I suppose a lot of other users. Let me also suggest you take the [tour] and browse our [help] to learn more about the site and the SE system in general. If you have questions, check [meta] or join us in [chat]. – Stephie Jan 12 '17 at 20:04
  • It might be an idea to simply delete the first paragraph here, since it's implied that Judy doesn't know how the colour changed (i.e. it's not an intentional colour change). –  Jan 13 '17 at 08:56
  • There is a picture at: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/inside-of-hard-boiled-egg-has-purple-color-layer.1296909/ – RalphMudhouse Jan 24 '20 at 23:22
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My Great Aunt makes a casserole every year, with purple hard boiled eggs. The reason for this is she is using a solid aluminum, from the 40's or 50's, pot to boil the eggs in. I don't know why she doesn't use a different pot, go figure, she knows what it does. No one these days has aluminum cookware so it isn't an issue. Apparently, back in the day, it was a common enough occurrence. That generation generally isn't internet savvy, if you were at a church function and asked this question, chances are, all the greatest generation ladies would immediately answer. In recap, there is nothing wrong with the eggs. They are fine to eat or use in cooking. There is something that goes on between the egg and the aluminum that makes it change colour for some reason. I wish one of the science guys would pick this up and do a show on it and explain. Hope this helps!

Miss Furbie F Blanton
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Is it purple throughout or is there a layer near the yolk that's really more of a gray?

If the latter, it's simply because the eggs were cooked too long or at too high a temperature. It's a reaction between sulfur and iron. Perfectly safe, but try putting the eggs in room temperature water then bringing the water to a boil. Once at the boil, turn off the heat and leave the eggs for 11-13 minutes. You can then remove the eggs and run room temperature water over them to stop the cooking.

Dennis Williamson
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