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A few days ago, we shared a delicious recipe for deviled eggs – and as part of that post, we also promised you a Cooking Lesson on making Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs!
When you’re making recipes like egg salad, deviled eggs, or our spinach salad – cooking the eggs correctly is a very important step in an otherwise very simple recipe! If you cook the eggs too long – the yolks will get tough in texture and turn a greyish-green color. If you don’t cook the eggs long enough – the insides can be a little too soft! And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, hard-boiled eggs can be difficult to peel.
Today’s Cooking Lesson will show you a few tricks of the trade to make perfect hard-boiled eggs that are perfectly cooked and easy to peel!
First of all, you want to start with fresh, raw eggs that have been brought up to room temperature. Bring a pot of water to a boil (you want the eggs to be fully covered with water as they cook, so choose a pot that is large enough to hold however many eggs you are cooking) and add in a few tablespoons of white vinegar.* The vinegar helps breakdown the tough inner skin so the shell peels right off when you are done cooking the eggs.
(*Note: This lesson cooks 6 eggs in approximately 4 quarts of water with two tablespoons of vinegar. Adjust the amount of vinegar if you are cooking more eggs in a larger pot with more water.)
With a spider strainer or other slotted spoon, gently place eggs one at a time into the water, being careful not to drop the eggs so quickly that they crack when they fall to the bottom of the pan of boiling water.
Boil the eggs for exactly five minutes.
Then turn the heat off under the pot and let the eggs sit in the hot water for exactly 15 minutes.
Pour the water out of the pan. Then shake the pan (with the eggs still inside) vigorously to crack shells.
Start running cool water into the pot of cracked eggs. With the water still running, peel the shells off each egg.
Dry completely on paper towels before using in recipes such as our Deviled Eggs or Classic Egg Salad or our Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing.
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Mary says
I’m using your how to boil eggs and v classic egg salad for tea sandwiches tomorrow. I wanted something simple.
Martha says
Hope you enjoy the recipes!
Linda Russell says
Thank you so much for the info about peeling boiled eggs! I’m 70 years old and have struggled with peeling boiled eggs forever! This is unbelievable – so wish I had known about this earlier in my life! THANK YOU❣️
Martha says
You’re welcome Linda! ☺️
Thomas Blain says
Look great
Martha says
Thanks Thomas!
GrammaSue says
Hi, Martha! I also found a trick to the perfect hard-boiled egg and shell removal method. I start with a pan of cold water and bring it to a boil. I add 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER and the eggs (I use a tablespoon to gently lower the eggs into the water). I stir the baking soda before adding the eggs. I set the timer for 13 minutes. When the timer goes off, I remove the eggs and place them in a bowl of iced water and crack them a few times on the side of the bowl while still in the water. I let them rest for one minute and then easily remove the shells. It works 100% of the time for me. Just wanted to share this with you and hoped you had a wonderful Mothers’ Day yesterday. I love your website and recipes and share them with friends. Thanks, again for sharing and have a wonderful week!
Martha says
Thanks for the suggestion Gramma Sue! We’re so glad you are enjoying the recipes and thanks for sharing! Have a great week too! Best, Martha
George Waller says
Excellent the best since my mother made homemade egg salad thanks A+++
Martha says
Thanks George!