Peeling Hard Boiled Eggs
Amber Bracegirdle | Bluebonnet BakerPeeling hard-boiled eggs can be difficult - but not if you use these handy tips and tricks!
Hard boiled eggs make a great protein-rich snack, a picnic accompaniment, a salad topper or even a soup garnish! The only problem is that peeling them can be time consuming and frustrating.
But there are a few things you can do to make life easier! Here are some methods for peeling hard-boiled eggs that should have you slipping those shells off with ease!
Using a glass, or a glass bowl
Try putting your egg(s) into a glass or bowl, adding some water, covering it, then shaking it vigorously. The shell slips right off the egg! Shaking it in the water allows the egg to move away from the membrane in one piece.
Using a hard surface
Roll the boiled egg on a hard surface with your hand, to create lots of cracks in the shell. This helps the membrane separate from the egg white. We find that this does help with peeling, as the shell tends to come off quite easily, and more or less in one piece.
Increase the PH of the egg
This is a slightly more scientific approach! To raise the PH, add baking soda (an alkaline) to the water as it boils. It needs to permeate the egg, so just poke holes into the larger end of the egg to help this occur. You need a teaspoon of baking soda for this to work, but this can slightly alter the taste of the egg. If you’re planning to eat the egg by itself, this may not be the best method to use.
Chill the eggs
Chilling eggs in ice water after cooking allows for the egg to shrink away from the membrane after it had expanded during the cooking process. To ensure optimum shrinkage, allow them to sit for about 15 minutes. Chilling the eggs quickly after cooking helps prevent that unwanted dark line from forming around the yolk.
To make perfect hard-boiled eggs
We recommend using about 2 quarts of water for 1-4 eggs, 3.5 quarts for 12 eggs and 6 quarts for 24 eggs. If you decide to opt for the chilling method, make you sure also have a large bowl and some ice cubes handy!
- Place the number of eggs required into a tall pan and add the specified amounts of water.
- Over high heat, bring the water to a boil; once boiling, remove from the heat, cover the pan and allow the eggs to sit for 17 minutes.
- After 17 minutes, transfer the eggs into a large bowl filled with water and ice and chill until ready to peel.
Lets get peeling…
- Gently tap an egg against the sink or countertop to crack its shell.
- Hold the egg at the thinner end and begin peeling the shell at the larger end while holding the egg under a slow stream of cold water or in the bowl of ice water as used earlier.
- Once peeled, return the egg to the ice water so it continues to chill.
Hard boiled eggs can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
About Amber
Amber is a native Texan, born to a family of fabulous cooks. She shares her love of all things Tex-Mex and Southern both on her blog, Bluebonnet Baker, and here on Food Fanatic. She heavily endorses the use of the contraction "y'all".
