Hard Boiled Eggs Peel In Layers

[C.Whalen]

I was told that a sure fire way to have hard boiled eggs peel easily is to dunk them in very chilled water immediately after draining the boiled water off them and continue to chill in the fridge for a couple of more hours. I have done this, I have been told to boil them in salted water to make them peel easily, I have done this. I have been told that fresh eggs won't peel evenly, I buy mine at the grocery store so they certainly are not farm fresh, and they still peel unevenly. If anyone can give me a hint as to why they peel in layers I would love to know what I am doing wrong.

 

[amber]

I just put mine a in bowl of water (not chilled), leave them there for about 5 minutes, then change the water again, and then peel them. I've seem many hard boiled eggs look as the pic you have show above and so what? They are still good to eat.

 

[Andy M.]

We had this discussion a while ago. Read it here.

 

[C.Whalen]

My main concern amber is that I wouldn't even consider presenting eggs that look like that when I make deviled eggs.

 

[RPCookin]

One of the things we learned in the cooking class I took was that you don't want fresh eggs if you need to peel them after hard boiling them. Buy them at least a week ahead of time. As they age, the membrane bonding the white to the shell starts to naturally break down, making for easy peeling.

 

[Katie H]

C. Whalen, after I purchase my eggs at the grocery store, I usually wait a week before I boil them for deviled eggs, etc. I've never had a problem peeling them. The shells always come off in, sometimes, one piece or in nice clean pieces.

 

[skilletlicker]

Okay, here is a thought from an untrained cook. After boiling your eggs to the appropriate donenes, move immediately to ice water. After a a minute or so the shell separates from the white, making shelling relatively easy.

 

[PBear42]

This one frustrated me for years. Tried several methods. Most times, they came out fine, but not reliably enough for my tastes. Finally, I worked out one that almost always works. Even with fresh eggs.

Cover with cool tap water; let stand one hour. Bring to a boil; continue to cook at a gentle boil for seven minutes. Take off heat, cover and let stand five minutes. Run cool tap water in the pan until the water is cool, about five minutes; let stand at least twenty minutes. One at a time, rap each egg all over with the back of a spoon, then peel.

I have to say, finally, perfect hard-cooked eggs. Firm whites (peel cleanly), crumbly yolks and no green ring.

 

[boufa06]

Try adding a spoonful of vinegar to the boiling water when fresh eggs are used. It might do the trick.

 

[auntdot]

CW, I haver no idea. And I understand your frustration.

Were I a hermit, would never hard boil the things, ich, poo, spit (love eggs, just cannot stand them hard boiled).

But this is not a perfect world and I will make eggs for others, particularly devilled eggs.

Have read the other posts and the thread Andy so kindly posted. And have looked at many ways of boiling eggs.

But most of the time am not particularly fussy about the eggs I use or the technique of cooking them (cannot abide the smell of the things and really do not like to make them, double blech). And even with all my often slothful ways of carrying out the procedure, have never had a particular problem with the peeling part (the darned green iron stain, yep, but peeling, no). And have lived all over the US, so it is not just that I am getting a particular kind of egg.

My point, and I hate to get to one, is that my guess is it is not your technique. Although I would try all of the suggestions listed.

If none of them work would suggest you ask your family, friends and neighbors.

Maybe it is a local thing, or the eggs. Or the water.

Heck if I know.

Good luck.

 

[Gretchen]

As others have said, it is the freshness of the eggs. Older eggs, up to two weeks are the best to use, so plan ahead.
IF you are not using them for presentation, as in devilled or quartered etc., but in something that is going to be chopped up, then when you find they aren't peeling right, take a spoon and scrape them out like you would a soft boiled egg. Then just chop them.

 

[PBear42]

Hey boufa06. Vinegar was one of the tricks I tried over the years. Didn't seem to help. Later read someone (Corriher?) say that it's a bad analogy to poaching and counterproductive for hard-cooking. Anyhoo, I'm not doing it now.

And, auntdot, if you're getting green ring, then of course they're easy to peel. It's getting them cooked peelable without the green ring that's the tough one. That said, for deviled eggs, the green ring ain't so important, since you mash up the yolks anyway. But you might try my technique, as the eggs don't smell as much. In both cases, sulfur is the culprit. Reduce the ring and you'll reduce the smell.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I know what you mean about difficultu in peeling hard-boiled eggs. But then again, soft boiled eggs are even more difficult, as they tend to break and spill liquid yolk all over the place if not done perfectly. Thanfully, my wife taught me a method for ensuring the perfect execution of peeling both hard and soft boiled eggs some 29 years back.

I'll make it simple. First, don't overcook the egg. hard boiled egg is done after about 5 to six minutes. A soft boiled egg is done in 2 minutes and 37 seconds (large to extra large eggs, slightly longer for jumbo eggs). This is at whatever altitude I'm at in Great Lakes country, and it doesn't matter what the air pressure is, or what season. Next, remove the eggs from the heat source (stove, egg-boiler), and gently crack all over. Place under cold, running tap water until you can handle them without burning your hands.

The shells peel off easily, resulting in perfectly presentable eggs. This method has never failed me and I swear by it. It's easy, and it works. just be gentle when removing the first bit of egg shell, and get the membrane with it. Then you're home-free. What more can you ask for?

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[StirBlue]

I always thought the green ring around the yolk was a result of the brand of eggs and the source. One grocery store in my area has been selling eggs with an unusual shell. It is not smooth but textured looking. What does that mean? The egg itself looks normal, taste right, but I no longer buy their eggs. They are hard to crack open and do not keep very long. I have nicked them the "sonic-atomic eggs".
For peeling normal eggs, I remove them from the heat and run cold water in the pan until the hot water is flushed out and the eggs start cooling. I leave them in the cold water about ten minutes.
I like making little pastry shells for my deviled eggs so they are not just rolling over on somebody's plate or worse hitting the floor. I guess I could call them little devil boats...haha!

 

[shpj4]

CW I would definitely try all the suggestions that have been posted and I would have to say that when I boil the eggs I put them in regular water and then when I peel them they come out fine.

 

[tdejarnette]

I agree that fresh eggs are the ones that do that. This Thanksgiving I forgot to buy the eggs early, but I found the store had eggs dated Dec 5 and Dec 12. I of course bought the Dec 5 eggs and they peeled just fine!

 

[Ishbel]

Eggs dated almost a month in advance of purchase date?

 

[Half Baked]

The green ring shows that they are overcooked. It has nothing to do with anything else, I don't believe.

After I cook my eggs, I put them in a bowl of cold water and crack them all over, on the bottom of the bowl and then peel 'em. When I bring them out of the water, they are fully shelled.

My hard boiled eggs are out of an old McCall's Cookbook. Put eggs in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, cover with a lid and take off the burner. Let them be for 20 minutes, then peel. No green then.

I've never worried about the date on the eggs, for cooking. Shows how much of a goof I am.

 

[StirBlue]

Eggs keep really well. They are dating them for the store shelf life. We have many small producers which keep us in fresh eggs. The dairies in this are also small so we have an abundance of fresh milk dated about two weeks ahead.

I avoid old eggs but if you must have them try purchasing them at a gas station with a food pantry. They will be old and they will be expensive.

I will never eat another deviled egg that was not made with my fresh eggs no matter what it looks like!

 

[Ishbel]

I buy organic, local eggs. The shelf life is one week.