Hard Boiled Eggs...seemingly impossible for me

[DaisyO]

How the @$$%^ do you prepare a hard-boiled egg, so that the shell comes off without destroying the eggwhite?  Have tried Joy of Cooking, Mark Bitman (only cookbooks in house) and the competing ideas of my father and mother.  

Am in torment (well, relatively speaking of course).

THANK YOU

[TIFF4NY]

I have a gas burner and what I do is put the eggs in the water with about an inch above. Set on the stove and bring to a boil. Then I turn the flame to simmer, cover the pan and set the timer for 15 minutes. (For a non-gas stove just turn off the heat)

From there I immediately dump cold water and/or ice in the pan while running a stream of water through it to empty. Then I either let them sit a bit like that or put in the fridge. When you are ready to peel, lightly tap all around the eggs on the edge of a bowl or the sink and peel under a teeny tiny stream of running water. The smallest stream you can manage where it's actually a solid stream. It helps lift them. 9 out of 10 eggs turn out perfectly!

[onlyzombiecat]

After my eggs are cooked I dump the hot water and fill the pot with cold water and leave the eggs in the cool water just until I can handle them. I've found that the shells slides off pretty cleanly and easily while the eggs are warm.

Crack the eggshell all over and drop the egg back in the water- sometimes water getting under the cracked shell helps. I suppose that is similar to peeling them under a running faucet.

Get a spoon and use it to slide between the shell and the egg.

I use a combination of these methods and very rarely have a messed up egg.
 

What I have read is that you should use older eggs for hard boiled eggs... that new eggs don't have as much air between the shell and membrane and will be harder to peel.

[PumaBearclan]

"What I have read is that you should use older eggs for hard boiled eggs... that new eggs don't have as much air between the shell and membrane and will be harder to peel."

This is the best advice for getting the shells off.

I bring the eggs to a simmer and then remove from heat. After about 20 minutes in the hot water bath I take them out of the water & refrigerate them.

I peel them under cold running water. If you slightly squeeze the eggshell, the water will flood the gap between the white and the shell making removal easier. However, nothing will help if the eggs were very fresh and adhered to the membrane. Eggs can be stored under refrigeration for 30 days, so try using eggs that have been kept for longer than a week. Good luck!

[SweetSilver]

As an owner of chickens, if the eggs are really only a week old, that is simply not enough time, IME.  Store eggs are usually older than that, but if you buy locally, the eggs might not be that old.  Big-time commercial eggs can often be 2-3 weeks old at least.  That's how old they need to be.  Also, remember, that if you buy unwashed eggs, they will not lose air as quickly as washed eggs.  Unless you are buying from a neighbor or using your own eggs, chances are the eggs are washed.

My recipe:

In a smallish cast-iron pot, bring water to a boil.  Add egg and cover.  Set timer for 15 minutes.  Turn off heat after it comes back to the boil, if it stopped.  Cool immediately in a bowl of cold water, preferably iced if you can.  Peel under a small stream of cool water.  

[MDeLury]

I know this thread is old, but I've had good luck with even day old eggs by adding a big pour of baking soda to the boil water....boil, drain, add ice water and let them cool completely.  They peel pretty nicely at that point.  We sell our extra eggs off so the ones we eat are always very fresh.  I was pretty thrilled to discover that little trick.

[DaisyO]

Originally Posted by MDeLury 

I know this thread is old, but I've had good luck with even day old eggs by adding a big pour of baking soda to the boil water....boil, drain, add ice water and let them cool completely.  They peel pretty nicely at that point.  We sell our extra eggs off so the ones we eat are always very fresh.  I was pretty thrilled to discover that little trick.

that is really cool.  will try asap!

[silversparrow]

the old egg thing is true. I use to have chickens. The fresher the egg the harder it is to peel...