How to make the perfect boiled egg…
 

The eggs in the picture below were laid this morning!!!!

I have tried over the years to boil eggs and it seemed the impossible task…especially if you have very fresh eggs. The eggs in the grocery store are typically about a month old when they reach the grocery store and they are still hard to peal…so you can imagine how impossible a freshly laid boiled egg would be.

Thanks to the husband of a friend I now have the formula for the perfect boiled egg.

Get the water boiling first - rapid boil. Add a teaspoon of salt then gently lower the ROOM TEMPERATURE eggs in with a ladle. 14 minutes later drain and run cold water over the eggs so they are cool enough to handle…add enough water and ice to just cover the eggs and let the eggs sit and chill for about 4 or 5 minutes… Peel.

The eggs practically roll out of the shell. I have almost intact shells. Sooo easy.

http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/w...ledeggs005.jpg

I'll have to try this tip! Thanks for posting it.....:clap:

I'll have to try it, too. Thanks for sharing.

Sometimes, my hb eggs look like the ones in your pic, but other times, they look like I tried to use a grater to remove the shells. :rolleyes: :laugh:

I have good luck with supermarket eggs by bringing eggs to a boil, cutting off the heat covering and letting set for 20 mins. Then drain, run cool water over and roll against the counter. I add a splash of vinegar and salt to the boiling water. But your so right about the peeling better when the eggs are at room temperature. I will have to give your method a try on fresher eggs. I try to only boil my oldest eggs but it would be so nice to be able to get good results from fresher eggs.
Thanks for sharing.
Vikki

I got a WestBend Egg Cooker from AceHardware on-line as a Christmas present for myself. I love it. It makes a perfect egg everytime and no green on the yokes. Considering I used to boil eggs until the water went dry (my way of knowing they were done:laugh:) I needed it!

The perfect hard boiled eggs come out of a bag from Trader Joe's. They are so good, the yolk doesn't even turn green when making scotch eggs.

My friend was boiling eggs and forgot them. They exploded all over the place, including the ceiling.

My yolks turn green this way. I bring them to a boil, turn off heat, cover and let sit for 17 minutes. Perfect every time. The American Egg Board also promotes this way of cooking. :)

http://www.incredibleegg.org/index_v...ID=133&offset=

So ~ okay bear with me ~ we are talking about hard boiled eggs here, right?

Lisa ~ you bring to boil, then turn off heat and cover for 17 min...?

Yup. :)

Well, I'm doin it. I hate bring water to boil, adding eggs, boiling 10 min, annoying!

Thanks!!:hugs:

Boy do those eggs look good!!!!

It is industry standard for eggs to sit in a holding area for 30 days before being shipped to the store. Being able to stockpile the eggs 30 days in advance of shipping they are able to make adjustments in their shipping to keep the supply of eggs available to all the markets that are being served at an one given time.

When you understand that the eggs you buy in the store are already 30 days old when you get them... and they are still too fresh to peel if you boil them... you begin to understand just how amazing this way of cooking a boiled egg is for someone who has day old eggs to deal with.

In the past the only way I could make boiled eggs was to mark my eggs (so nobody would use them) and leave them sitting out on the kitchen counter for at least a week...a week and a half would be better. Imagine having to plan a week in advance if you are going to make a boiled egg.

Now I can make boiled eggs anytime I want them. :clap: :kicking: :clap: I know you probably think I'm nuts for getting so excited about this but peeling boiled eggs...even the ones that sat on the counter for a week...was no easy task for me.

I pretty much do my HB eggs this very same way, except I drain them and immediately place them in the ice water, but only until they're cool enough to handle, maybe a minute or so. I also roll them on the counter just a bit to loosen 'em up. Can't say it's foolproof but more often than not my eggs come out looking like yours in the picture.

Speaking of which, that picture is making me hungry! :laugh:

:rofl: Oh yeah... been there done that....

That's the way I cook mine, too, but I certainly can't say they're perfect every time. I even use older eggs, and they're still sometimes very difficult to peel. :dunno:

Prolly cause I eat em too fast to notice! :laugh: I luv warm boiled eggs! :blush:

I have an electric egg cooker as well and my eggs always come out perfect. I could never get them right when I tried boiling them on my own. They were either way overcooked or undercooked (yuk!). Also, thanks Chicken Lady for the info about the eggs. I had no idea that the eggs I buy at the store are already 30 days old !

Thank you!!!

We're gonna try this with our next batch.

It's so frustrating whe half your egg ends up attached to the shell!

Ditto! I'm going to try these tips to hard boil a batch, hopefully without yucky colored yolks this time. Great thread! :)

If you are a kitchen gadget junkie....Like I am. The Cuisanart Egg Cooker is a wonderful low carb tool. It hard boils 7 eggs or poaches 3 eggs at a time. And times in perfectly based on the amount of water (per the measuring cup included) that you use.

I can put the eggs on when I get in the shower in the morning and by the time I'm done....perfectly HBoiled or poached eggs.

When I first saw this gadget I thought....there is no way that I can justify buying a gadget to boil eggs. But let me tell you...I have never...not for one minute regretted this purchase....and it takes up very little space.

Oh no, I don't think your nuts at all. I hate peeling eggs so anything that would make them easier is something to get excited about.

I knew store bought eggs were older but I had no idea they were that old. Yikes.
I miss fresh eggs. The difference is indescribable as you well know. It's like two different foods...giggle

I need to boil some more soon so I'll try your technique.

Thanks,
Vikki

I 2nd that vote!
I got one as a gift. A gag gift at that. It's wonderful!
(I swear it's all got to do with that egg piercer)

Y'all let me know how well it works for you...I would have never in a million years thought of putting an egg into already boiling water...I was very surprised when the eggs didn't pop open and I was doubly surprised when the shells came off so easily.

The key to getting them to "pop out of their shells" is the ice water bath. When the eggs cook, the heat cause the shell and white/yolk to expand. The ice water bath causes an almost "flash" cooling effect which cause the egg to contract, but the white/yolk contracts much quicker than the shell, causing it to pull away from the sides.

The same process in reverse (dropping a raw egg into boiling water), often causes the eggs to crack and the egg whites to seep out. The white/yolk expands faster than the shell, exerting outward pressure that breaks the egg. Ever since I started putting the eggs in the water BEFORE bringing to a boil (as others have mentioned in this thread), I haven't had anymore broken eggs.

Many recipes call for salt and/or vinegar to adjust the boiling point of the water and the strength of the shell, or as the OP stated, raising the eggs to room temperature first. No offense to anyone using these methods, since they do work, but I'm a lazy bastage, and dropping the cheapest store bought eggs into the cold water before turning the stove on as worked every time.

Just thought I'd throw in my .02 about why/how the different processes work.

I think it's the piercer too.....LOL. But isn't it funny...I bet this didn't go down in Cuisinart's best seller list....but I will be sad when my dies...if I can't find another one. Glad to see that one other soul out there enjoys this.....because I know everyone else thinks I'm crazy!!!! LOL.

Well, Chicken Lady I used your method on 18 eggs last night and they all came out beautiful, just like your picture. How great is that? Thank you so much for the tip. I used to poke a hole in the large end and it worked pretty good, but not like this. Ann

I'm so happy you tried it....I know it's a little nuts to be so excited about peeling an egg but I can't tell you how frustrating it is when I have these wonderful, home grown, free range eggs and I couldn't make a decent deviled egg to save my life. Happily those days are over forever!

I saw them at Target, I think. Or somewhere. I know I googled it and they are still out there. Matter of fact, I want to pick up one for my DD. And get me a backup! :up:LOL.

Then I must be nuts too, I'm totally impressed. I used to hate doing deviled eggs, not anymore, I've sent your directions to everyone I know that's on the internet. Thanks again Ann