ADVERTISEMENT
It forms when two naturally occurring substances in eggs meet under high heat:
* **Sulfur** from the egg white
* **Iron** from the egg yolk
When eggs are cooked too long or at too high a temperature, sulfur from the whites is released as hydrogen sulfide gas. That gas migrates inward toward the yolk, where it reacts with iron to form iron sulfide—creating the greenish-gray ring.
In other words, the ring isn’t decay.
It’s chemistry.
—
## Why Overcooking Is the Real Culprit
Continue reading…
The most common reason the green ring appears is **overcooking**.
Eggs are delicate. Their proteins coagulate at relatively low temperatures, and prolonged heat causes unintended side effects.
Here’s what happens step by step:
1. The egg heats up
2. Proteins in the white begin to denature
3. Sulfur compounds are released
4. Heat drives sulfur toward the yolk
5. Iron in the yolk reacts with sulfur
6. A green ring forms
The longer the egg stays hot—especially after the yolk has fully set—the more pronounced the reaction becomes.
That’s why eggs cooked “just a bit too long” are the usual suspects.
—
## Is the Green Ring Dangerous?
This is the question most people really care about.
**No, the green ring is not dangerous.**
