Hard boiled fresh brown eggs for deviled eggs

[jade_softtail]

Okay I've read many ways to do this and have tried a number of them, but I'm having problems with my eggs falling apart when I start to peel them and they are kind of slimy. I boil them for 20 mins then do the ice bath or run cold tap water over them, then I peel them as soon as they are cool enough, am I boiling them to long? I've had to feed a lot of them to the chickens because I can't peel them. I use to put them in a pan straight from the frig, cold water, then come to a boil, take them off of the heat and let sit for 20 mins but then when I peeled them half of the egg ended up with the shell. I need help because I love deviled eggs and I just like hard boiled eggs to eat as a snack but without the slimy stuff.

 

[Judy]

Yes you are cooking them too long. Just to give you an idea, you can put them in cold water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand for 20 minutes and they will be cooked properly -- but you probably still won't be able to peel them. I have hard boiled dozens of store bought eggs this way.

Here is a thread on a bunch of different methods to make peeling fresh eggs easy:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24428

 

[jade_softtail]

Yeah I can do the store bought white eggs but when it comes to our fresh brown eggs that's where I have the problems.

 

[noodleroo]

With fresh eggs, you need to lower the ph of the water; this is what I do:

I usually boil about 4 eggs at a time. For a small pot for 4 eggs I use about a tablespoon of salt and 1 Tablespoon of baking powder. The baking powder is the key ingredient for really fresh eggs. I boil mine for about 18 minutes but you can do it however you normally do. When they have boiled, pour off the hot water and immediately put a couple of ice cubes in the pot with the eggs. Shake the pot back and forth to crack the eggs. Fill the pot with the rest of the ice cubes from the tray (or just fill the pot with ice) and run some cool water in to fill in all the spaces. Let them sit about 30 seconds and then start peeling immediately. I usually run the cold water over mine while peeling.

I think the idea is that the ph of the water is lowered by the baking powder and the salt will coagulate the 'white' of the egg so that when the ice and water quickly cool the outside of the egg, the white condenses as its cooling and pulls away from the membrane making the eggs easier to peel. If you wait until the eggs are completely cool, it doesn't work as well.

 

[KDbeads]

I can peel fresh laid eggs by just salting the water heavily, bringing to a really heavy boil, add eggs (I usually do 2 dozen at a time, well until recently), boil 15 minutes Immediately pour out some of the water in the sink and start running cold water into the pot. As soon as I can touch the eggs without burning myself I start peeling while leaving the water running over the pot.

I've only had one egg I couldn't peel this way, turns out I have to let that girl's egg sit for a few days before I can even attempt to get hers peeled. She's my freak of nature

 

[KDbeads]

oopppps, double post

 

[jade_softtail]

Thanks and I'm heading into the kitchen to start boiling some eggs right now!

 

[Judy]

Quote:
This is what works for me, with fresh brown yard eggs.

 

[walnuthollow]

I let my eggs st on the counter for 2 or 3 days before boiling them.
This works like a charm every time.