Eggs – the effect of adding sugar to the water when poaching eggs

The scum is similar to that which forms on stock; it is made of proteins which have detached from the larger protein matrix in the egg, forming a secondary protein matrix on the surface of the water. I know of no way to avoid it, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. If your concern is cosmetic, I wouldn't worry; it largely disappears as the bubbles pop. If you really want to get rid of it, give your poached eggs a quick rinse under warm water before drying and plating.

I assume you mean eggs that have been poached in water with vinegar added?

I usually add vinegar to my poaching water when making poached eggs. However, I rarely taste the vinegar. I would suggest

• Use less vinegar. I use no more than a tablespoon for a shallow frying pan's worth of water
• Use a milder vinegar like white wine vinegar, or even lemon juice
• Use really fresh eggs if you can, in which case you don't even need vinegar

Lots of people use a saucepan full of water to poach eggs. I used to, but always with inconsistent results. Usually the egg white would just disintegrate and form a foam.

Now I use a small, shallow frying pan. This means the egg white has less opportunity to disintegrate, and also means I need to use less vinegar to help the white set.

If rather than poaching you mean pickling, there's little you can do to remove the vinegar taste, as the vinegar will have penetrated the egg thoroughly.