National Sidewalk Egg Frying Day is in July. You might wonder why we have such a day at all. Here is a theory. The kids have been up since the crack of dawn. The whole family has been out at the holiday parades all morning. Everyone is tired and a little cranky due to the extreme heat of the day. The barbeque and firework festivities don’t start for another several hours. So how do you entertain the kids in between on this blazing hot day of summer? Well…you do some egg frying on the sidewalk! That is my theory on how Sidewalk Egg Frying Day came about.
Egg Frying on a Sidewalk?
Is it true that an egg can fry on a sidewalk? It must be if there is a Sidewalk Egg Frying Day! Well, for an egg to firm up, the surface it is being cooked on must be around 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Even on the hottest summer days in the desert sidewalks probably don’t get that hot even if it feels like they are. However, a little thin piece of tin foil will fix that!
The Basic Steps:
Here are the basic steps to try on egg frying on the sidewalk!
- Wait for the hottest part of the day. The hotter it is outside, the better your egg will fry. The temperature should ideally be at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit which shouldn’t be a problem for Sidewalk Egg Frying Day in July. Make sure the sun is out and shining bright on the sidewalk. You’ll need those rays of sun to completely cook your egg. As a side note, make sure you wear your sunscreen!
- Place a sheet of tin foil directly in the sunlight on the surface of the sidewalk. Let it heat up for around twenty to thirty minutes. Be careful not to touch it with your hands because it will be very hot to the touch and could burn you!
- Ok now the fun starts! Crack an egg right onto the tin foil surface. If it is hot enough, that egg is going to start to cook right away. Keep in mind that the egg will cool the surface a bit so if it doesn’t start to cook right away, don’t give up. Give it some more time. You can let the egg sit out of the refrigerator awhile before cooking for better success. If you can, try to leave the yolk intact. It will help you be able to see whether it is cooking or not.
- If there are multiple kids, have a competition to see whose egg can fry the fastest! Winner gets a prize!
- Discard the eggs when the fun is over. You probably don’t want to eat the eggs after they cook unless you can tell for sure that they are fully cooked. Even if they are fully cooked, you might still choose to throw them away. After all, the fun is in the cooking on Sidewalk Egg Frying Day!
Cleanup After Sidewalk Egg Frying
Did you know egg whites can leave a permanent mark on the sidewalk if not cleaned up right away? They can also leave behind a very strong smell if not properly disposed of. After all the egg frying fun is over, ensure you clean up the mess you’ve created.
You probably still have a couple of hours left before the fireworks. Take advantage of this time and clean up a little to prepare. Should you hire some house cleaners to come in and clean for you or give each child a small chore and reward everyone at the end with an ice cream cone? Those kids can be great little cleaners. Better yet, let those kids take a nap and rest up for the big fireworks event and hire the house cleaners. Whether you clean up yourself or hire house cleaners, everyone will feel a lot better if you come home from the fireworks to a clean house!
All the memories of Sidewalk Egg Frying Day will be sure to last for years to come even if your egg frying didn’t actually work!