The Stupidest Question in the World

kr3851

Ok guys... I need some help.

I can cook amazing foods... I have an endless supply of recipes and am always experimenting...

BUT

I don't know how to boil an egg.

Please tell me how.

And how do you know if it's done?

tayteetots

soft or hard boiled?

karenkwalker

Fill a pan with water and place the egg inside - bring the water to boiling - then set a timer for 10 minutes - when the timer goes off remove from the stove and run cold water over it. Once the egg is cooled you should be able to peel it and eat it. Good luck!

kerrylou150

put eggs in a pot

cover with cold water

bring to boil

put cover on pot

pull off heat and sit for 20 mins

take out of hot water and put eggs in a ice bath. (the ice bath will keep that strange green ring from forming.... learned that from my restaurant days)

Even if you forget the eggs are on the stove they won't over cook because they are not on the heat. I have forgotten them for over an hour once and they weren't rubbery or tough at all.

pinkita

Yes, don't do more than 10 mins because then the egg will be stinky when you peel it

HeatherYevette

put eggs in a pot

cover with cold water

bring to boil

put cover on pot

pull off heat and sit for 20 mins

take out of hot water and put eggs in a ice bath. (the ice bath will keep that strange green ring from forming.... learned that from my restaurant days)

Even if you forget the eggs are on the stove they won't over cook because they are not on the heat. I have forgotten them for over an hour once and they weren't rubbery or tough at all.

This is the BEST way!! How I do it too.

kr3851

Ok I'm going to give it a go tonight. Wish me luck!!

fitev

I agree, pull it off the heat and let it sit for 20...WAY easier to peal that way. Great question...I just learned this as well.

dmanic

For hard boiled 15 mins from start (Cold water) to end (Boil) also use eggs that are at room temp and not cold (the're less likely to crack in the pot)

brittanyjeanxo

Fill a pan with water and place the egg inside - bring the water to boiling - then set a timer for 10 minutes - when the timer goes off remove from the stove and run cold water over it. Once the egg is cooled you should be able to peel it and eat it. Good luck!

^^^THIS. It comes out perfect every time It work even better if you have a small bowl of ice water handy to put it in to really shock it and stop it from cooking. If you do it like this every time, you'll have the perfect egg every time, without all that yucky green stuff on the outside of the yolk :P

sunrize_sc

Boil for 3 minutes, cover (for 10 minutes or so) put in ice water - it peels better if it's cool - then peel and eat! Bon Apetit!!

dodd319

Do what they said. I have to call my sister almost every time I make them!. And warm hard boiled egss are soooo good on salad with a little ranch & western dressings. Oh, so very good!

Good luck!

dodd319

Good luck!

ricochette55

lol, I asked my boss this question a while back and his reply made me laugh so I kept it...here's what he said (he was telling me not to leave the lid on too long...or else...):
"Let's just say that I know for a fact that you will be picking embedded pieces of eggshell out of your ceiling, if you let them explode. Remember, the egg is such a perfect weight-supporting, weight-distributing shape that you cannot crush one in your hand (only using one hand). The geodesic dome is based on the principle of the egg shell (you know, the Astrodome). So when it explodes it realeases an inordinate amount of energy for such a small package."

He cracks me up. Beware the exploding egg...

mamahawkins

Also, the fresher the egg, the harder to peel. Use an egg you have had for a few days or let it sit on the counter for a day or two before you boil it. (it won't hurt since you are cooking it) Crack the fat end first and they usually peel very easily.

IMYarnCraz33

depends if you want it soft or hard boiled.
i always put the egg in the pan with water and brought it up to boil...
buttttt I just found a site where you wait for the water to boil then gently add the egg(s).

For soft boiled (cooked whites and runny yolks) cook for 5-7 minutes
hard boiled about 10 minutes.
I always add a bit of vinegar to the water too. it helps coagulate the egg if the shell cracks
so it doesn't leak all over the pan.

kadoodle76

I do the boil then sit for 20 mins too. Also, I despise eggs that wont peel so peel them BEFORE putting them in the fridge. Once they get cold, they dont like to get nekkid!

NotGoddess

It's not a stupid question. I had the same situ with boiling sweet corn last year. I'd always grilled it and never learned how to make it on the stove.

kadoodle76

depends if you want it soft or hard boiled.
i always put the egg in the pan with water and brought it up to boil...
buttttt I just found a site where you wait for the water to boil then gently add the egg(s).

For soft boiled (cooked whites and runny yolks) cook for 5-7 minutes
hard boiled about 10 minutes.
I always add a bit of vinegar to the water too. it helps coagulate the egg if the shell cracks
so it doesn't leak all over the pan.

yeah! vinegar does keep them from cracking. forgot about that part.

OnMyWay2STay

I like to stir the eggs just once or twice while the water is boiling. It helps keep the yolk in the center (especially helpful with deviled eggs!)

jamie78

I have always heard put salt in the water to make it easier to peel. I have forget it a couple times and it was a mess to peel. Not sure how or why it works but it does!

infamousmk

If you're at high altitude you'll have to boil a minute or two longer.

Rae6503

put eggs in a pot

cover with cold water

bring to boil

put cover on pot

pull off heat and sit for 20 mins

take out of hot water and put eggs in a ice bath. (the ice bath will keep that strange green ring from forming.... learned that from my restaurant days)

Even if you forget the eggs are on the stove they won't over cook because they are not on the heat. I have forgotten them for over an hour once and they weren't rubbery or tough at all.

Yeah, this is what I do, but for the high elevation I let it boil for 3 minutes before pulling it off the heat.

Rae6503

I have always heard put salt in the water to make it easier to peel. I have forget it a couple times and it was a mess to peel. Not sure how or why it works but it does!

Old, about to expire eggs are the best for peeling! Seriously.

crzyone

Put a tad of butter in the water and the shell will peel right off.

I like mine boiled hard!!!! Twenty minutes!!!

zeeeb

20 minutes? what kind of eggs do you guys use in america?

i have chooks, and i live in australia, i boil mine for 5-7 minutes for hard, and boil for 4-5 mintues for runny.

if i'm using them later, i let them sit in the hot water for a while, but not if i'm eating them straight away (like for breakfast).

agreed, you dont' want freshly laid eggs if you want to peel the eggs, if they are freshly laid, you have to cut them in half, and scoop out the middle with a spoon or your white sticks to the shell, it's messy and annoying to peel when they are fresh.

tigersword

Restaurant trick for peeling hard boiled eggs, put 'em back in the pan, lid on. Shake vigorously. The shaking will cause them to rattle against each other and the sides of the pan. The shells will end up with a bunch of little cracks and should come right off.

jfinnivan

A good way to remove the shell on really fresh eggs is to roll the egg on a hard surface while pushing down hard enough to break the shell as it rolls. It will fracture the shell into small pieces, which can then be peeled off.

46and2

Have significant other do it. If significant other is not available, switch to cheese.

This works.

whitejessamine

Also, if you add a little baking soda to the water, it helps prevent the eggs from sticking to the shell when you peel them. This works better than salt.

And it's not the stupidest question in the world. That's when I told my ex-husband (back when he was still my boyfriend) that my sister was pregnant, and he said, "How did that happen?" Umm...the same way it did when I got pregnant, I'm assuming...

lloydrt

I couldnt peel an egg to save my life , but I do know that the older the egg is the better the shell comes off.........Good luck, I put the eggs in water , bring to a boil, then trun off and let stay in for 5 mins, then peel under cool water.........and Im not chef for sure, but I can do it this way