How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

• Hard COOKED, not hard BOILED


Apparently, I’ve been cooking the eggs the wrong way. While the cooking water must come to a full boil in the
recommended method, the pan is immediately removed from the heat so that the eggs cook gently in the hot water. Hard-cooking produces tender eggs and minimizes cracking.

• Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be refrigerated safely for up to one week.  Peeled hard-cooked eggs should be eaten the same day.

• How to peel a hard-cooked egg:

Gently tap egg on countertop until the shell is finely cracked all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Peel starting at the large end and hold the egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.

• Banish the greenish ring.

This harmless but unsightly discoloration that sometimes forms around hard-cooked yolks results from a reaction between sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk. It occurs when eggs have been cooked for too long or at too high a temperature.

• Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel.

Buy and refrigerate your eggs a week to 10 days in advance of cooking them to make the peeling process easier. This brief “breather” allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.

• Hard-cooked eggs are easiest to peel just after cooling.

Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.

• Prepare a dozen hard-cooked eggs on Sunday so you’ll have an all-natural, high-quality protein option on hand for your family during the busy week ahead, either for an on-the-go breakfast or after-school snack.

So here’s the info that you’ve been waiting for. Get your eggs ready.

How to Make Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs

1. Place the eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling.

2. Remove pan from burner; cover. Let eggs stand in hot water – about 15 minutes for large eggs, 12 minutes for medium eggs; or 18 minutes for extra large eggs.

3. Cool completely under cold running water or in a bowl of ice water. Peel and eat, or store unpeeled in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Version 2

Perfect Hard Boiled Egg (And I Mean Perfect)


• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 6 cups water
• 8 eggs

Directions

1. Combine the salt, vinegar, and water in a large pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the eggs one at a time, being careful not to crack them. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil, and cook for 14 minutes.

2. Once the eggs have cooked, remove them from the hot water, and place into a container of ice water or cold, running water. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week.