Is there anything more frustrating than boiling some eggs, then realizing that you’re going to have to pick the shell off one tiny fragment at a time?
That goes double when you’re making something like egg salad, potato salad, or deviled eggs, and are staring down a dozen or more eggs to peel all at once.
If you dread that moment like I do, here are 5 tips that could make our next go around a bit easier!
5. Try the crack and roll method.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Tap the egg against a hard surface, like your counter, then roll it gently to crack the shell all around.
It doesn’t really work that well, but sometimes you get lucky.
4. Give them an ice bath.
Image Credit: Pixabay
As soon as you drain the boiling water, cover the eggs in ice.
The immediate cold will stop the cooking process and lower the temperature of the eggs, which will do two things: make them easier to handle sooner, and make them easier to peel, since the egg should shrink slightly away from the shell.
3. Don’t use fresh eggs.
Image Credit: Pexels
If you know your eggs are for boiling, let them sit in the fridge for a week or so before sending them in.
Fresh eggs are harder to peel. You can check the age of your egg using the “float test,” which says that an egg that tilts upward in a bowl of water is past its prime (but still safe).
2. Peel them underwater.
Image Credit: Pixabay
If your eggs are submerged when you crack them, the membrane will loosen slightly, coming away with the shell instead of sticking to the egg.
Magic!
1. Try using a spoon.
Image Credit: Pexels
Start by cracking the egg at the wide end to create an opening, then slip your spoon between the egg and the shell.
From there, rotate it around the egg and (hopefully) peel off the remaining shell with no trouble.
I’m going to try every single one of these – one has to work, right?
Tell me your tips and tricks for getting the perfect hard-boiled egg, please. I can never have enough.
