If you’re tired of under or overcooking hard-boiled eggs and tired of trying to pick the glued on shell off of your boiled eggs, you’ve come to the right place.  I’m here to show you how to make & peel perfect hard boiled eggs every time!

Do you peel your hard-boiled eggs, or do you find yourself picking away at the shell, one tiny piece at a time, wondering at the same time what makes the shell glue itself to the egg white?  Do you finally give up and pitch the egg in the garbage can?  Believe me, you’re not alone.  I used to throw lots of hard-boiled eggs in the garbage until my frustration finally led to an intense search for the perfect solution to this frustrating problem and I found it.

Peeling the eggshell from the egg is just half the battle.  If you’re like me, you also want the egg yolk to be perfect as well.  A perfect golden-colored egg yolk is what makes me happy.  Nothing overcooked and green looking or undercooked and half runny.  I have the answer for that too.

I’m here to show you how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg that has a golden-firm yolk and is easily peeled.

First things first…

Start with aged eggs.  The older the better.  This is not the time to go visit the hen-house for eggs.  Older eggs work much better than fresh eggs when it comes to peeling them.  The older the egg, the less moisture is present in the pores of the shell.  This causes more air in the ends of the eggs, which in return helps the shell to loosen from the egg white, thus resulting in an easier peel.

Fresh eggs have a low pH level.  When they’re cooked, the egg whites bond…I mean bond to the inner shell membrane instead of bonding to themselves, making it impossible to peel off the shell.

Boiling, Ice bath…

Boiling –  Add enough water to a large pot to ensure there is at least one inch of water covering the eggs when they’re added.  Bring the water to a boil.  Gently add the eggs to the boiling water.  I use a large strainer and gently drop half of them in at a time.  Return to a full boil.  Cover the pot with a lid and remove it from the heat.  Allow the eggs to sit covered for exactly 15 minutes.  Note:  Do not place the eggs in cold water before bringing to a boil.  The cold water causes the proteins in the egg whites to set slowly which gives them plenty of time to fuse to the membranes surrounding them, thus making the eggs hard to peel.

Ice Bath – Drain the hot water from the eggs and immediately immerse the eggs into a pan of ice water.  Allow the eggs to remain in the ice water for 10 minutes.  Drain the water from the eggs.  At this point, you can roll the eggs around in the strainer to help break up the shells but it’s not necessary.

Tap each egg on a counter surface as you roll it at the same time.  This breaks up the shell.  Now the shell should easily peel right off.

If you like this informative post on How to Make & Peel Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs, you might also like What is that nasty little thing on my egg yolk?

Check out my recipe for Classic Deviled Eggsa great side or appetizer for Easter.