Hard Boiling Eggs

[noodleroo]

If you lower the ph of the water, it will make peeling fresh eggs easy.

Put your eggs in the water with a palm full of salt and a palm full of baking powder. Use baking POWDER, not soda. Let all come to room temp and then boil. Pour off the water and immediately add some ice cubes. Shake the pot or pan back and forth so that the ice cubes help crack the shells. Add more ice and cold water and peel immediately. Works for me every time. I boil mine about 18 minutes.

 

[buckabucka]

I age mine a week or two, - still a lot fresher and tastier than the grocery store, and solves the problem.

 

[KensingtonHens]

And I thought it was just my poor technique!! Thanks for all the answers.

 

[Junkmanme]

I solved the problem MUCH EASIER.

I eat my eggs "over-easy".

-Junkmanme-

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
This is what I do too--straight from the pot into an ice-water bath and they peel like a dream.

 

[Royd]

Admittedly, the older the egg, the easier it is to peel....Regardless, a good dose of salt, in the water, is the trick.

I have questioned some of the tried and true techniques, to see if there is any difference in approaches.
The first one I have tested is the length of time needed, to boil the egg. It is my understanding that 180 degrees will actually cook the egg, so, the only reason to leave the egg in the water any longer, would be to allow the salt to penetrate the eggshell.

Here's my current technique. Put a pot of water on to boil. add the salt. If you've just pulled the eggs out of the fridge, put them in some tap hot water, to warm up, so that they don't crack.

Once the water is boiling, lower the eggs in, and allow to return to a boil. At this point, the egg is already cooked. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes, to let the salt do its thing.

Allow to sit in cold water, just until the outside of the egg is cool.
Crack both ends, and the whole shell, by squeezing it in your hands.
Start peeling, at the big end...Breaking through the membrane is vital to a nicely peeled egg. If you do this, the shell, basically, slides off.

I believe there is an encyclopedia of info, over in the recipe section, and no end to the techniques.

 

[Oscgrr]

I too had difficulty peeling boiled fresh eggs until just recently. My solution is a combination of two of the above methods. I'm not saying anyone elses solution is wrong but this works for me:

I no longer boil my eggs but I steam them in a rice cooker. I use the steaming basket that suspends the eggs above the water. The time I cook them depends on the number of eggs, one egg-between fifteen and twenty minutes and six eggs-about thirty minutes. When the time is up I IMMEDIATELY submerse them in the sink with cold water from the tap (I have a deep well and my water gets COLD) but I'll bet some ice cubes would help and begin peeling right away. I crack the shell and roll it around on the counter mrecilessly and begin peeling at the fat end. You gotta break through the membrane. Lately, the shells have peeled away very nicely.

Before this, the shell would always take a chunk of white with it and it got very frustrating.

Hope this helps.

 

[BantamoftheOpera]

Thanks for all of the great information!

 

[abhaya]

Quote:
I have an 18 carton od eggs in the fridge for boiling!! I let the eggs sit 2 weeks before boiling lol they have to have a larger air sack to peel well the only way they get that is with a kittke age. I know it sounds funnt but it works and they are still fresher tham what you get at the store.

 

[fratermus]

Quote:
(Thinking back to HS chemistry) I think that would increase the pH, but I get the idea.