How to make the perfect boiled egg…

[BettyR]

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!!!

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 any 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.

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.

 

[Andy M.]

Betty, I'll have to try that. Can you post a photo of an egg cut in half?

 

[RobsanX]

Betty, I'll have to try that. Can you post a photo of an egg cut in half?

Yeah, it's easy to overcook a boiled egg. It's the technique and timing of getting a perfectly cooked hard boiled egg that nobody seems to agree upon...

I stick with my tried and true method:

Cover the eggs with water
Cover the pot and bring water to boil
Turn off the heat and let set for 17 minutes for large eggs
Run cold water over the eggs

 

[BettyR]

Betty, I'll have to try that. Can you post a photo of an egg cut in half?

I should have taken photos of one of the eggs cut in half but I didn't think about it. I made Scotch Eggs with these this morning and I'm afraid they are all gone.

The yolks were not green though if that is what you were wondering...I have 30 hens and two roosters so my eggs are fertile... and the fertile spot on the egg does discolor the whites just a bit in one spot when they are boiled but when you cut the egg open the yolk is perfect.

 

[Seven S]

These are some great tips and I always use the method described above for "store-bought" eggs. Having said that, although I have never worked with "laid-the-same-day" eggs, 14 minutes in the boiling water seems a bit much.

However, I have always subscribed to the "boil water first before placing eggs" method... the reason being that there are less variables that can affect the outcome. For instance, when you place the "room temperature" (very important - otherwise the extreme change in temp from refrigerated eggs to boil will expand the egg and crack it) eggs in the boiling/simmering water, you are already starting with water at around 200-210 degrees F no matter how much water is in the pot, which size pot you are using, which burner it is on, what number on the dial, etc. which will hold at that temp provided the water remains at that visible simmer/boil, providing one "constant". When using the most common method which is eggs in the water first, all these variables can affect the outcome. A different amount of water, a different burner, or pot, or amount of eggs, refrigerated eggs, dial setting on the burner knob, will all change how much energy/heat is required to get that water to a boil/simmer and, therefore, the cooking time of the eggs are affected, and since eggs are so delicate sometimes the changes are noticeable. Granted, for most home kitchen applications the variables may not be noticeable but if you are in a commercial setting and one day need to boil 20 eggs and the next day 50, these variables can significantly come into play. Just wanted to share this bit with you all... if interested, you can read more on this subject in this book "What Einstein Told His Cook" which is an awesome read!!

 

[chefnaterock]

I recommend a different approach

Place your cold eggs in lightly salted COLD water with a splash of white vinegar. Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat. When water reaches a rolling boil, immediately turn off heat and tightly cover with a lid. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Rinse eggs under cold water for about one minute. Let cool to desired serving temperature. Yolks should be firm yet creamy with NO GREEN or GRAY (which is a product of overcooking.) The vinegar will allow for easy peeling.

 

[Seven S]

the vinegar tip by chefnaterock is true... here is a related read:

Does Vinegar Make Peeling Hard-Cooked Eggs Easier? : The quest for an easy-peel egg - CHOW

they also mention the tip by BettyR of moving the eggs from the boil water straight to the ice water to "shock" the egg, which helps the shell come off.

 

[BettyR]

Eggshells are permeable.... they allow airflow in and out of the shell so as to provide oxygen to the developing chick....if there were one.

The large end of the egg has an air sack that begins to develop as soon as the egg dries. As time goes by and the egg ages it looses moisture through the shell and the air sack becomes larger. Eventually the moisture loss and the enlarging size of the air sack will cause the membrane just under the shell of the egg to turn loose of the shell. This is why you are advised to boil older eggs in order to be able to peel them easier.

Refrigeration slows this process so an egg that is refrigerated shortly after being laid will hold it's moister and freshness for several months....even so if you remove a newly purchased egg from the frig. and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 12 to 24 hours the process of ageing will be accelerated to the point that you can boil and peel the egg with no problem. But the "egg experts" don't want to tell you that because they really don't want the general public to know that they are eating month old eggs even though it's perfectly safe to do so….it just doesn’t sound appetizing.
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[cara]

and what to do when I don't want hard boiled eggs?
I find it much more difficult to boil an egg the way the white is hard and the yolk ist still a bit liquid (?)..

 

[kitchenelf]

and what to do when I don't want hard boiled eggs?
I find it much more difficult to boil an egg the way the white is hard and the yolk ist still a bit liquid (?)..

Place eggs in water, bring the water up to a boil, and boil for about 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from water, run under cold water for a bit, cut the top off and you should be good to go.

And THANK YOU BettyR for instructions on how to cook fresher eggs. They are so pesky!!!!

 

[cara]

after 2 1/2 the white is still "slimy".... DH loves it but I won't eat anything of that egg...

I haven't found a source for real fresh eggs yet, still have to buy them at the supermarket.... but most time they are srambled, sunny-side-up, as an omelette... ;o)

 

[Uncle Bob]

But the "egg experts" don't want to tell you that because they really don't want the general public to know that they are eating month old eggs even though it's perfectly safe to do so….it just doesn’t sound appetizing.

What do these Egg Experts do with a 30 day supply of eggs at one time?? That sounds like it could be a lot of eggs.

 

[deanhughson]

Egg suppliers

Modern operations don't hold eggs. The eggs are laid after 26 hours by the chicken (80% of the time) and come off the line and are inspected,washed, and graded and put into cartons. MOST ship by the next day. If you shipped eggs that were 30 days old you would be in violation of the USDA rules

google and find USDA rules on egg dating)

Smaller operations (cage free, organic,etc.) often don't have enough eggs to run continuous processing so they must 'gather' eggs until they do so they tend to have more age on them.

With that all said, peeling eggs is easier on older eggs. Read this article on the proper way to cook and peel eggs

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A: Actually, it's better not to boil eggs. Boiling makes eggs tough and rubbery. If you cook eggs too long or use heat that's too high, they also can turn green. In hard-boiled eggs, this makes a green ring around the yolk. This is okay to eat, but it doesn't look very nice. You can make tender eggs with no green ring by cooking more gently. And you can save energy if you don't leave the heat on for a long time to boil.
Here's directions on how to make the perfect hard-cooked egg:
¢ Put the eggs in one layer on the bottom of the pan. Put the pan in the sink. Run water into the pan until the water is 1 inch over the eggs. Put the pan on a burner. Turn it to medium-high heat.
¢ Let the water come to a boil. Put the lid on the pan when the water is boiling. Move the pan onto a cold burner. Set the timer for 15 minutes for large-sized eggs (or 12 minutes for medium-sized eggs, 18 minutes for extra large-sized eggs).
¢ Put the pan in the sink when the time is over. Run cold water into the pan until the eggs are cool. Put the eggs into the refrigerator if you're going to use them later, or peel them if you're going to use them right away. Use all of the cooked eggs before a week is over.
To peel the hard-cooked egg:
¢ Gently tap a cooled egg on the countertop or table until it has cracks in it. Roll the egg between your hands until the cracks turn into small crackles all over the egg.
¢ Use your fingers to start peeling off the shell at the large end of the egg. If you need to, you can hold the egg under running cold water or dip it in a bowl of water to make peeling easier. Throw out the pieces of eggshell when the egg is all peeled. You can eat the egg or use it in a recipe when it's peeled.

Dean Hughson, an eggman

What do these Egg Experts do with a 30 day supply of eggs at one time?? That sounds like it could be a lot of eggs.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Modern operations don't hold eggs. The eggs are laid after 26 hours by the chicken (80% of the time) and come off the line and are inspected,washed, and graded and put into cartons. MOST ship by the next day. If you shipped eggs that were 30 days old you would be in violation of the USDA rules

google and find USDA rules on egg dating)

Smaller operations (cage free, organic,etc.) often don't have enough eggs to run continuous processing so they must 'gather' eggs until they do so they tend to have more age on them.

With that all said, peeling eggs is easier on older eggs. Read this article on the proper way to cook and peel eggs

Advertisement

A: Actually, it's better not to boil eggs. Boiling makes eggs tough and rubbery. If you cook eggs too long or use heat that's too high, they also can turn green. In hard-boiled eggs, this makes a green ring around the yolk. This is okay to eat, but it doesn't look very nice. You can make tender eggs with no green ring by cooking more gently. And you can save energy if you don't leave the heat on for a long time to boil.
Here's directions on how to make the perfect hard-cooked egg:
¢ Put the eggs in one layer on the bottom of the pan. Put the pan in the sink. Run water into the pan until the water is 1 inch over the eggs. Put the pan on a burner. Turn it to medium-high heat.
¢ Let the water come to a boil. Put the lid on the pan when the water is boiling. Move the pan onto a cold burner. Set the timer for 15 minutes for large-sized eggs (or 12 minutes for medium-sized eggs, 18 minutes for extra large-sized eggs).
¢ Put the pan in the sink when the time is over. Run cold water into the pan until the eggs are cool. Put the eggs into the refrigerator if you're going to use them later, or peel them if you're going to use them right away. Use all of the cooked eggs before a week is over.
To peel the hard-cooked egg:
¢ Gently tap a cooled egg on the countertop or table until it has cracks in it. Roll the egg between your hands until the cracks turn into small crackles all over the egg.
¢ Use your fingers to start peeling off the shell at the large end of the egg. If you need to, you can hold the egg under running cold water or dip it in a bowl of water to make peeling easier. Throw out the pieces of eggshell when the egg is all peeled. You can eat the egg or use it in a recipe when it's peeled.

Dean Hughson, an eggman

Welcome to DC Dean....There is an operation up north of me with about 1.5 million layers (A Cal-Maine Operation) I knew they didn't hold eggs for 30 days...They do exactly as you stated. -- Same reasons too -- Thanks for posting!!

 

[deanhughson]

Thanks Uncle Bob

a 30 day supply for a 1.5 million bird operation would be 100 truckloads of 1000 cases each and no one in the industry has that much storage space indeed.

Cal-Maine is the largest egg producer in the US.

For good info on eggs go to american egg board's website They have good recipes also.

 

[cara]

In G the eggs must have their lay-date stamped on the eggs...

 

[chefnaterock]

and what to do when I don't want hard boiled eggs?
I find it much more difficult to boil an egg the way the white is hard and the yolk ist still a bit liquid (?)..

For good soft boiled, I usually bring the eggs up to a boil, boil for 6-8 minutes, and then immediately chill them. This should yeild a milky soft core with a firm white.

 

[lindatooo]

There are those wonderful "eggs" you can get at Kitchen Kaboodle that turn color to measure how cooked the eggs are - couldn't make soft boiled eggs without one! But be sure to remove it with your eggs!

 

[middie]

I have such a hard time making hard boiled eggs. I'm going to try every way mentioned in here.

 

[Aria]

Can we boil and egg?

I place my eggs in a pan CAREFULLY. Add water. Let come to a boil.
Turn off heat and let sit for 17 minutes.

Drain water....add COLD water and a few ice cubes...let sit for about 5 minutes. Ten peel.

I use fresh organic eggs....purchase from a neighbor. They are fresh. Works for me. Aria