The Reason Scrambled Eggs Turn Green - Mashed

There's nothing quite like a plate of freshly-cooked scrambled eggs. Oh, wait — why do they look green? If your eggs looks green and they're not supposed to, it's natural to wonder if there's something wrong with them. Were the eggs rotten before you cooked them? Did they pick up some bacteria somewhere along the cooking process that turned them this unwelcome color? Did you cook them all wrong? Are they still safe to eat? 

According to Sparks Eggs, there are a few reasons scrambled eggs might turn green when cooked, and none of them indicate that there is anything actually wrong with them. Sometimes, if an egg has a lot of vitamin B12 lurking inside, the white of that egg can have a greenish tint. Not only is this not bad for you, it's actually good, as vitamin B12 is a vital part of a healthy diet that the human body cannot produce on its own (via Healthline).

Sometimes, though, eggs just turn green and while it seems there's no reason for it, it actually has to do with a chemical change caused by high heat, which can happen if you're cooking a large batch of eggs. It can also happen if cooked eggs aren't dished out right away and are kept warm at a high temperature. To avoid this, it is recommended that you cook smaller batches at a lower temperature, and to use a chafing dish rather than direct heat if hold time is required.

There's one more reason your scrambled eggs might turn green, and that has to do with your choice of cooking vessel. If you're using a cast iron skillet, there could be a chemical reaction between the iron content in the pan and the sulfur in the egg whites (via The Incredible Egg), which turns the eggs green. If you notice this, simply use a different kind of pan, don't turn the temperature up super high, and your eggs will look light, fluffy, and yellow — exactly how they're supposed to look. 

Above all, green scrambled eggs may look weird, but it shouldn't affect the taste, and they're completely safe to eat.