The Secret to Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs {stovetop method}
Ever since we got our own backyard chickens, I’ve been on a quest for the perfect way to make hard boiled eggs. I’ve finally figured out how to get them to peel easily and not get a yucky dark ring around the yolk!
There’s just 5 easy steps to Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs….
- Age your Eggs – If you also are starting with FRESH eggs like us, I recommend that you do not wash your eggs and allow them to sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours to ensure they peel nicely. I heard somewhere that for every 24 hours you age fresh eggs at room temperature it is equal to aging them 1 week in the fridge…. just trust me it works! We try to keep all or our fresh, unwashed eggs at room temperature for 24-48 hours before refrigerating so that they wether we eat them or if we share them with our friends/family they are all hard boiled ready. If you aren’t sure how fresh your eggs are (store or farm bought) and they’ve already been refrigerated, for the BEST result you’ll want to age them for at least a week in the fridge.NOTE: Once eggs are washed or have been refrigerated, you cannot keep them at room temperature. They must be refrigerated to avoid contamination. When eggs are laid, they have a natural (bloom) coating on them that creates a barrier to protect agains germs and nasty stuff from sneaking into the porous shell. Once the coating is washed off, stuff can be absorbed into the shell. And once they’ve been chilled in the fridge, they need to stay chilled.
- Put a Pin Hole in the Shell – at the pointy end of the egg, make a tiny hole with a pin or thumb tack.
- Start with Cool/Room Temp Water – Place your eggs in a pot and cover with cool/room temp water. Over high heat bring the water/eggs to a BOIL
- Cover the Pot and Turn off the Heat – When you water/eggs come to a boil, place a lid on your pot and turn off the heat. Set your timer for 10 minutes.
- Chill your Eggs in Ice Water – After your eggs have ‘cooked’ for 10 minutes, drain them then cover them in ice water to chill.
Enjoy your easy Peel Eggs! I suggest making my Flavor Bomb Deviled Eggs, they are AH-MAZING! What’s your favorite way to eat hard boiled eggs??
My son is now 25, but while younger, his favorite breakfast was chopped, hard-boiled eggs over hot, sautéed green beans, and for snacks, he favored simple deviled eggs. (Guess I should’ve known then that he’d turn out to be “a real egghead”…LOL..and I mean that in a totally non-derogatory way!) As a result, I spent years trying to produce hard-cooked eggs in quantity that when peeled, would NOT resemble the surface of the moon and would retain at least SOME whites to complement their fluffy, hygroscopic yolks.
Your method does indeed work, but THE BEST method I found after A LOT OF EXPERIMENTATION is to STEAM room-temp eggs (regardless of source) for exactly 15 minutes, then crackle their shells and plunge them immediately into an ice water bath, where they stay until I’m ready to peel them. Upon peeling, I just tear their membrane once, anywhere under its shell, and the cooked egg slips out easily, WHOLLY and beautifully!
Then, of course, I clean the empty shells, dry them in my fridge, and use them to clean all my metals (pots, pans, baking sheets and oven/rangetop) of any stuck-on foodstuff, debris, oil, gunk and char 🙂
–Mae
OTP in the ATL