How to Boil and Peel an Egg

[Farmfresh]

OK there are a million different techniques out there. How do you do it?

First I am going to post the little miracle that I recently discovered. It seems that some bright person noticed that when a chick hatches it ALWAYS unzips the egg by moving counter clockwise. (I am curious if this changes direction down under like the water swirl down the drain does down under?)

Any way. If you hold a boiled egg with the large end in your left hand. Start at the big end, then peel the shell away from you (or vice versa for lefties) the shell will peel off in large sheets. Far better than any other way... even with a fresh egg. Try it.

Now... share your best boil an egg tips.

[dizzy]

I've always just cracked the egg all over, then peeled it.

[Old Fashioned]

1. Gather said eggs from the coop
2. Clean off the poopy ones with a damp paper towel
3. Put in the fridge to rest, about 2 weeks
4. Fill a saucepan about 1/2 full of water
5. Bring water to boil
6. Carefully add eggs
7. Turn down the heat to medium or low
8. Add some baking soda to fiz
9. Keep eggs & water hot about 10-ish minutes
10. Turn off the heat & let cool on their own
11. About an hour later, crack the shell in several places & peel.


Once in a while I'll get a tough one that doesn't want the shell to separate from the egg even with all precautions listed, but it's been the best method yet for home grown eggs.

Store bought eggs, just get put in a pan of water, brought to a boil, then cracked & peeled.

[Rhodie Ranch]

I never have poopy eggs.

Using old eggs, put in water and bring to boil. Then turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes or so. Then plunge in cold tap water.

[Farmfresh]

One thing I have learned from cooking shows, they always get the water boiling first then add the eggs in one at a time and bring back to the boil. After they are cooked rinsing in the cold/ice water is also pretty normal practice.

Another tip is to simmer the eggs gently at barely a boil. Cooking too hot fast or long and the egg yolk ends up green and nasty. Gentle cook.

[calendula]

We store eggs with the wide end up in the carton. That helps for peeling, because there will be an air pocket at that end.

Place eggs in a single layer in pot. Add enough cold water to cover the eggs. Heat on high, and as soon as water boils, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, depending on how hard you like them done. Immediately plunge eggs in ice water to cool. This keeps yolks bright yellow.

To peel, crack the eggs all over. Gently roll the egg between your palm and the counter top to loosen the shell. Starting at the wide end, where the air pocket is, begin peeling. Now that I think about it, I do think I peel it counter clockwise, and it comes off in strips.