Best way to peel a hard-boiled egg?

e_v_v

Am I missing out on an easy way to peel hard-boiled eggs? What's the best way to do so without destroying the egg, breaking the shell into a million pieces and taking forever to peel it, or leaving pieces still attached and crunching on them later?

Need2Exerc1se

I've tried every trick I've ever heard or read and some eggs still just won't peel nicely. The way that works most often for me is to peel it under cool water, either under running water or submerged in a pan of cool water.

hmltwin

One thing I've learned over the years... don't try hard boiling fresh eggs. Eggs that are a week or so old (but still within their date) peel easier than the fresh ones do. The dates are just a guideline anyway. If the egg sinks (or mostly sinks), it's still perfectly safe to eat.

robininfl

I can help! We struggled with this for years, no kidding. Best boiled eggs ever, and peel like a dream:

Boil the water on the stove first.

Add the cold eggs to the boiling water, return to a boil then reduce heat, simmer ten minutes.

Immediately plunge eggs into ice water (we drain them and them fill the pot with ice then water). Let them sit in the cold water for ten minutes or so to cool off.

They will peel easily, much better than starting them in cold water.

chocolate_owl

Use older eggs for sure.

A few different cooking gurus claim steaming instead of boiling yields better results. From Fine Cooking:

"Prepare an ice water bath. Arrange the eggs in a single layer in a steamer basket set over boiling water. Cover the steamer with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit, covered, for 5 minutes more.

Plunge the eggs into the ice bath. Working with one egg at a time, crack the shell by rolling it on a flat surface. Under a stream of cold running water, peel the shell."

Another trick from Simply Recipes:

"If you've boiled a batch of eggs that you are now finding difficult to peel, try cracking the shells all around without peeling them and soaking the eggs in water for a while. The water often seems to seep in enough under the shell to make the egg easier to peel."

jemhh

I eat a lot of soft boiled eggs and rarely have trouble peeling them. What I do:

- bring water to boil and then put eggs in
- once they are done boiling (7 minutes for my purposes) I take them out of the water and run them under cold water for 5-10 seconds
- Peel immediately. (Yes this means that you are peeling a very hot egg. You will get used to it. Or maybe you already have mom/grandma hands that are impervious to heat and it won't bother you at all. Who knows.) To do this, tap the fatter end of the egg on the counter. This is the air bubble end. Start peeling, being careful to peel off the membrane that lines the shell.

That's it. That's what I do 3-4 mornings a week. I mess up maybe one egg per week.

powered85

Good amt of baking soda in the boiling water makes the difference for me. Also cool them in ice water

Lounmoun

I peel them while they are warm. I crack the freshly cooked egg's shell all over and toss them in a pan of cold water. Then I peel. The shell usually slides right off.

JenHuedy

I've tried them all. Baking soda, vinegar, steaming, baking, boiling water, cold water, ice baths, rolling, pin holes... all of them worked - some of the time. Older eggs worked most of the time. The only thing that works 100% of the time for me is using a pressure cooker.

http://altonbrown.com/pressure-cooker-eggs-recipe/

jmarie1025

Definitely boil water first, then add eggs. I buy fresh eggs at the market every week and they peel great! I use this method.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/easy-to-peel-eggs/

ganzelly

I boil eggs that came directly from my sisters chickens so super fresh. As others said, boil water first, add eggs for 12 min (turn heat down to medium). Immediately in ice water and let cool. They still don't always peel as easily as old eggs but I'm too impatient to let them get old!

mygrl4meee

Buy them already boiled.

grinning_chick

Cold eggs in cold tap water in cold pan.
Heat to a boil. Lower to a simmer.
Simmer for 10 minutes, turn off heat.
Dump all the boiling water out of the pan, leaving eggs, and refill with cold tap water.
Let sit and cool two and a half minutes.
Remove eggs from the pan one egg at a time, dry, break shell at whatever end by tapping on hard surface, and peel the shell off in large scales thanks to the inner & outer membranes.

Eggs will be warm but not hot.

The only eggs I've ever had be uncooperative - the membranes adhering to the white instead of the shell - with this method is, as has been pointed out, fresh eggs.

markrgeary1

I fry mine.

lorrpb

Well I tried adding the eggs to hot water yesterday & 2 of them cracked the instant I submerged them. Then some of the white leaks out!

J72FIT

The best way to peel a hard boiled egg IMO is to first crack it from the top and bottom and NOT from the side. Peels much easier this way. Have not peeled a bad one since I've done it this way...

TexasJade

I add mine to cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 3 min. Remove from heat and cover for 12 min. Then into an ice bath or cold water for a few min, then crack on fat end where the pocket is.

arditarose

Never thought about it. Never thought it was difficult. I tap it on the edge of the counter, peel it in a few seconds, and eat it in a few seconds. I don't boil it any special way either.

cb2bslim

Mine seem to peel better better during the cooling stage. If hard boiled eggs goes into refrigerator to use later, I warm them up a bit under hot tap water before peeling. Seems to do the trick for me.

jmarie1025

lorrpb wrote: »

Well I tried adding the eggs to hot water yesterday & 2 of them cracked the instant I submerged them. Then some of the white leaks out!

I've only had it happen once. I always turn the heat off and let it sit a minute so it's no longer boiling then very slowly lower the eggs into the water using a slotted spoon then turn the heat back on and simmer for 12 minutes.

TonyB0588

robininfl wrote: »

I can help! We struggled with this for years, no kidding. Best boiled eggs ever, and peel like a dream:

Boil the water on the stove first.

Add the cold eggs to the boiling water, return to a boil then reduce heat, simmer ten minutes.

Immediately plunge eggs into ice water (we drain them and them fill the pot with ice then water). Let them sit in the cold water for ten minutes or so to cool off.

They will peel easily, much better than starting them in cold water.

Interesting but I don't want my egg to be actually cold. Definitely has something to do with the freshness though.

TonyB0588

arditarose wrote: »

Never thought about it. Never thought it was difficult. I tap it on the edge of the counter, peel it in a few seconds, and eat it in a few seconds. I don't boil it any special way either.

Good for you. I always get a difficult one just when I'm in a hurry.

arditarose

TonyB0588 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Never thought about it. Never thought it was difficult. I tap it on the edge of the counter, peel it in a few seconds, and eat it in a few seconds. I don't boil it any special way either.

Good for you. I always get a difficult one just when I'm in a hurry.

I must be very talented.

Strawblackcat

You have to use old eggs. As eggs age, a little of the water in them evaporates through the shell, which makes the inner membrane that separates the edible portion of the egg away from the shell pull away from the shell, which makes it easier to peel. Fresh eggs are better for frying, scrambling, or baking, but old eggs are better for boiling.

OneWayOnlyCycles

Start with fresh eggs. Check the date. Bring to a boil and set a timer for 10 mins. Then take them off of the burner and let them cool totally. Don't put them in cold water. When cool, roll them back and forth on a counter until all of the shell is broken up in little pieces. Now the whole shell will literally fall off when you start to peel!

smirk15

I just learned a fun trick for this! Once they are cooked pour out the hot water and add about an inch of cold water back into the pot. Then put the lid backon, hold it in tight, and shake the pot so the eggs hit each other and the sides of the pot. More side to side shaking than up and down. Do this for a minute and then open the pot and all the shells are cracked and slide right off. The water in the pot acts like a buffer so the eggs don't get completely destroyed. It works really well when you have a bunch you want to peel.

Bmoremama

Steam the eggs, don't boil them. Bring an inch of water to a rolling boil, put a steamer pot on top with your eggs in it, cover, steam for 12 minutes. Remove steamer pot, put into cold water. Shells slide right off.

Wynterbourne

Strawblackcat wrote: »

You have to use old eggs. As eggs age, a little of the water in them evaporates through the shell, which makes the inner membrane that separates the edible portion of the egg away from the shell pull away from the shell, which makes it easier to peel. Fresh eggs are better for frying, scrambling, or baking, but old eggs are better for boiling.

^^^This

85Cardinals

Break the rounder end a little (there's a little pocket of air there), then roll the egg on the counter under your hand to break up the middle shell around that. Then be patient and tenacious peeling, always trying to reach the shiny smooth egg under the shell and membrane. Once you hit the shiny, you have to keep it going. Ideally the broken shell will come off in one huge piece! And always work with warm eggs. Submerge cold eggs in warm water, this makes it so much easier. Trying to peel cold eggs is like torture.

Works equally well on all eggs, both old and new!

pebble4321

Older eggs are definitely easier.
My other handy hint is to use a teaspoon - crack the shell then slide the teaspoon between the egg and the shell to get the shell off.

MiamiSeoul

JenHuedy wrote: »

I've tried them all. Baking soda, vinegar, steaming, baking, boiling water, cold water, ice baths, rolling, pin holes... all of them worked - some of the time. Older eggs worked most of the time. The only thing that works 100% of the time for me is using a pressure cooker.

http://altonbrown.com/pressure-cooker-eggs-recipe/

Vinegar works for me!