A little while back, my mother reported she’d had a long and involved phone conversation with my aunt regarding hard boiled eggs.
Apparently, the trick to easy peeling is to first boil the water and then add the eggs.
Done this way, the shells release easy-peasy. Maybe because the hot water made the eggs suck in their egg guts?
I was skeptical — if this method worked so well, wouldn’t I have heard of it by now? — but then I tried it and my head exploded just a little. Easy peeling. Smooth eggs. HOLY COW.
It took me a few tries to figure out the exact process — whether or not to return the eggs to a full boil, and how long to cook them for — and I made a few batches of soft boiled eggs in the process, but I think I’ve finally nailed it.
Now, making hardboiled eggs, or rather the peeling of them, has gotten infinitely easier. Thanks, Mom and Aunty V. I can’t wait to reap the rewards of your next phone call.
Easy-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Boil water.
Place the eggs on a spoon and lower them gently into the water.
Bring the water back to a full boil.
Cut the heat and set the timer for 10 minutes.
When the time is up, pour off the hot water.
Run cold water over the eggs until they are cool to the touch.
Peel — giggling wildly all the while — and then eat!
Note: a 10-minute steep time yields a jammy-set yolk. If you want a firmer yolk, go 11 or 12 minutes.
This same time, years previous: mushroom salt, the quotidian (10.4.21), twelve thousand doughnuts, catching our breath, wherein the blogger encounters a good book and tells her readers about it in a roundabout sort of way, at least I tried.
10 Comments
Trudy
Can’t wait to try…..mine never work no matter what I do. We love deviled eggs and mine always look mangled
Rachel
I always steam my hardboiled eggs and that works great too! Recipe in cooks illustrated (and the science behind it is fascinating too)
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/articles/168-easy-peel-hard-cooked-eggs
Thrift at Home
I steam my eggs also! Works great every time, for old or new eggs. I don’t know the WHY, so I will take a look at the link you included.
Alyssa
Wait – this is such a simple solution! I am all for any easy remedy to a tedious situation, and this looks SO easy (with exactly the right jamminess!).
Mountaineer
JJ, An additional step your mother taught me: after draining the water out of the kettle, shake the kettle semi-violently to crack the shells all around.
Karen
This is a great way to do it. I also find (and I know this won’t apply to you), but “older” eggs also peel easier.
Just a quick question: a while ago you mentioned that your oven had died, but it seems when I watch your cheese YouTubes that you have the same over/stove. What ever happened?
Jennifer Jo
It died (as it’s done before) and my husband fixed it (as he’s done before) and the oven is getting ready to die again (as it’s done before), but for now, we’re still hobbling along, delaying the inevitable (as we’ve done lots of times before).
Katherine
This is what I do! (Although I prefer my eggs super jammy, so I usually do 9 minutes.)
Zoe Rohrer
WUT. Last I talked to her she was gently whacking the round ends with a spoon just enough to hear a tiny dull crack and then bringing to boil in cold water. Find me lowering uncracked eggs into boiling water ASAP…
Marcella Kottmeier
Thank you Jennifer! I cannot wait to try this, I am constantly frustrated with my hard boiled eggs!! Ack!!