Hard Boiled Eggs

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lisagail5

Assistant Cook
Joined
Aug 26, 2007
Messages
37
Location
Massachusetts
Hello
This is how I hard boil eggs.
I let the water come to a boil.
I boil them for 3 to 4 minutes depending on how many eggs.
I leave the pan on the same burner and turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit for 15 minutes.
Then I drain the eggs in a colendar. One or more of the eggs crack.
I leave the eggs in the colendar for 15 minutes to cool.
Should I not drain the eggs, and move the pan to a cool burner. Then let them sit in the water for 15 minutes to cool?

Thank you for your help.
 
I consider this method to be the best I've seen. Eggs are perfectly cooked and the peel like a dream.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/10/perfect-boiled-eggs-recipe.html
Below the recipe is this note: "For an easier, quicker, and even more foolproof version, see our recipe for steamed eggs."
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/04/steamed-hard-boiled-eggs-recipe.html

I use my Instant Pot - four minutes on high pressure, four minutes natural pressure release, release remaining pressure and remove the lid, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool. The shells practically fall off.
 
Every Easter, we would make a dozen eggs for each of my children, and there were four children. I got tired of pulling hard boiled eggs out with cracked shells. Over the years, I learned more, and more about the properties of eggs, at what temperatures the egg whites set, what temperature the egg yolk sets, how long it takes to hard boil an egg using various techniques.

The link Andy provides gives you eggs that are easy to shell. But sometimes you end up with cracked shells. If you want uncracked shells, and want to prepare a dozen, or more eggs at a time, this is the method that works for me.

First, let me explain that you don't need boiling water to cook a perfect hard boiled egg. Water doesn't boil until around 212' F. The eggs begin to set at about 160' F, far lower than the boiling point of water.

Boiling water is turbulent, and jostles the eggs around, which can cause them to bump against each other, or the side of the pan. This can crack the shells. Here;s how I hard boiled as many pans as would reasonably fit in my largest boiling pot (dutch oven).

Place eggs gently into pot, filling to 2/3'ds full (24 eggs in my pot). Fill pot with cold water to cover by 2 inches. Cover with a glass lid. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring to a very light simmer bubbles just startling from the bottom). Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off stove and let the eggs sit in covered pot for 5 more minutes. Place pan into sink, remove lid, and turn on cold water, letting it slowly replace the hot water until the pan water is all cold. Carefully remove the eggs with a silicone spatula to baking sheet lined with paper towels to dry.

If you plan to eat the eggs immediately and hot, use And's method. If you are making hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs, use Andy's method. If you are making hard boiled eggs to be eaten cold, or to be colored as Easter eggs, use my method.

Either technique will give perfectly cooked, hard boiled eggs.

Egos cooked to too high a temperature will cause the egg whites to become rubbery, and if way overcooked, to change color next to the yolk. Also, the yolk will become dry instead of creamy. When cooked just right, the yolks are fully set, but still give you a creamy mouth feel.

If you ever have a hankering for soft-boiled eggs, this makes them perfect on my stove, with fully set whites, and fully soft, but ot yolks.

Place one to three eggs in a sauce pan. Add cold water to cover the eggs by 2 inches. Add 1 tbs, salt to the water. Turn heat to medium high. Bring the water t a light boil. When it just begins to boil, set a timer for 2 minutes, 32 seconds. Turn down heat to simmer.

When the timer goes off, immediately remove the pot from the heat and pour off the not water. Bounce the eggs around in the pan to crack them all over, and fill with cold water. Under running, cold water, gently peel the eggs.Serve on buttered toast, or toasted English muffins.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Below the recipe is this note: "For an easier, quicker, and even more foolproof version, see our recipe for steamed eggs."
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/04/steamed-hard-boiled-eggs-recipe.html

I use my Instant Pot - four minutes on high pressure, four minutes natural pressure release, release remaining pressure and remove the lid, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool. The shells practically fall off.

I remember the first time I tried that method of using my Instant Pot, and I was skeptical - how could cooking the eggs at a higher temperature have better results?? But I have never had eggs peel as easily as those done in the IP, and almost every egg does not have that green/gray yolk on them. Before this, the best way I found was steaming them in my bamboo steamer for 12 minutes, then putting them in the ice water. I'd still have problems peeling some, but not as bad as the ones submerged in water, no matter what I put in the water.

A friend with an "old" pressure cooker (I actually gave her one of mine!) wanted to know how she could steam the eggs in that, and I said that I would wait until the steam started coming out, indicating that it is up to pressure, then start timing, then after 4 min., remove from the heat, then release the steam in 4 min. I thought that she may have to reduce the time some, since the pressure (thus the temp) is a little higher, but she says that worked perfectly for peeling the eggs, and getting bright yellow yolks.
 
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Nowadays, I steam my eggs for 13 minutes and then gently submerge them in ice water. it works like a charm. When I used to cook them by submerging them in water, I learned that adding a bit of salt to the water would help prevent cracked shells. Actually, sometimes I would notice one or two cracked shells while they were in the salted water, but they would seal back up in the cold water.
 
I'm not understanding the concern over whether or not the shells crack. Could someone explain?

Also, as to the grey/green tinge that forms around the yolks. When you say you don't get them are you peeling them same day?

I've often peeled same day and they are fine but peeling the rest on subsequent days the tinge gets darker and darker. I know the chemical reaction that causes the tinge but not the time frame with the difference of when you peel them.
 
Uncracked shells are only an issue if the egg are either cracked enough to let egg-white leak out, or if the eggs are to be used as a decoration, i.e. coloring the egg shells. I simply offered my method for cooking the eggs, shells intact, as a courtesy. As stated in my post, Andy's method works great if you don't mid a few cracks here and there.

One other aspect about eggs that hasn't been mentioned, is the age of the egg. The fresher it is, the harder it will be to peel without losing some of the egg white. Older eggs lose some of the moisture, which is replaced by air. This allows steam to form inside the egg as it's cooking, which helps to loosen the shell from the egg.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Thanks Chief appreciate your answer. Yes, I understand why one doesn't want to have the egg white leak out. My solution to that is to pierce the fat end (where the air pocket is). This helps to relieve pressure.

Another reason for cracked shells is simply because the egg has received a knock and has a weak spot. If you were to put a light inside an empty shell you would see that the shell is not exactly the same thickness all over. There might even be a myriad of tiny lines - not cracks, just weak faults.

Egg shells are porous and the air pocket get larger with age as moisture is evaporated. Which is why the "place egg in water to see how high it floats" works to tell fresh from older eggs. Higher = larger air pocket = older egg.

Along with that you might remember fresh eggs will keep better than cooked eggs. Once cooked that shell becomes even more porous!
 
Not sure how prevalent cracked shells are in the cooking water. It rarely happens to me. The method I linked recommends a simmer after the initial egg drop into the water so there is no turbulence to agitate the eggs.
 
I, too, prefer the Serious Eats way of making hard boiled eggs. I'm sure making them in an Instant Pot is a great way, but I already have lots of regular pots. Plus, I have other reasons to not buy an Instant Pot. :mrgreen: I am intrigued by the steaming update, though, GG. I just might make a half dozen eggs later today. I wonder if deviled eggs go with ham fried rice...

My eggs rarely crack when I put them into the water. However, when I'm getting eggs from the fridge to put them into the water, I give them a good look to make sure they don't have tiny cracks to begin with.
 
I always place my cold eggs into pot. Then cover with water and add salt. Bring to boil then immediately lower to a gently simmer. Simmer for 7 minutes then turn off and let sit for 2 minutes. Drain hot water from pot. Gently shake pot so eggs shells crack and then fill pot with cold water. Allow to sit till cool enough to handle and peel under running water. Always perfect no rings.
 
I solved the problem of craked eggs.
I no longer drain the eggs. I take them out individualy with a slotted spoon, and make sure there is no water dripping from the spoon. Then I place the egg in a dish towel to dry. Then put them in the container uncovered for 15 minutes to cool. After the 15 minutes, I put them in the fridge.
 
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