How To Boil An Egg

The first step to any amazing Easter egg, egg salad or deviled eggs recipe is cooking perfectly hard-boiled eggs. While boiling eggs may seem simple enough, there are a few tricks that ensure that your eggs come out will fully cooked egg whites, yolks without a green coating and no cracked shells.

How To Boil An Egg

Choose The Right Eggs

Except for Easter Eggs the color of the shells used for hard-boiled eggs does not matter since the shells will be discarded and the size of the eggs depends on the cook’s preference for the presentation of the finished dish. In order to have easy peeling eggs, make sure the eggs you are using are about a week or two old, as they make the peeling process easier. However, if you must go and buy new eggs, choose ones that are closer to the expiration date. Definitely do not try to use very fresh eggs because the shells won’t come off then and this will ruin your eggs whites. Eggs have a delicate membrane inside the shell that gets tough and rubbery as they age. Older eggs are less likely to crack when boiled and the tougher membrane makes them easier to peel. The eggs should be refrigerated while they age.

Preparing The Eggs

The night before cooking or for about 8 hours, the eggs should be placed on their sides to rest. You can place the eggs on their sides in the carton; however, the lid will not close, so you may have to cut the carton’s lid off. Resting the eggs on their sides helps center the yolk so the cooked egg white is even all around. Never use eggs with cracked shells since boiling will widen the cracks and the egg white will ooze out during cooking. Always cook two or three extra eggs because some eggs may crack when cooked and the extras ensure enough usable eggs for the recipe. Extras can always be used in a salad or other recipe even if the shells are cracked.

Let the eggs sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you start cooking/boiling. Allowing them to rest before cooking will reduce the amount of cracks by reducing a rapid temperature change after removing them from the refrigerator.

The Cooking Pot

A pot with a bottom that is wide enough for the eggs to lie in a single layer without touching or crowding is needed for boiling eggs. If all the eggs will not fit in one pot, it is better to use two pots so the eggs do not hit each other and crack their shells while cooking. The pot does not need to be deep since the water should be about one inch higher than the tops of the eggs.

Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water to raise the boiling point which allows extra cooking time and ensures the yolk has hardened. The type of pot you choose is up to you. Again, make sure to boil extra eggs in case any crack during the boiling process, do not peel properly, or end up with an off-centered yolk that can’t be used.

How To Cook Hard Boiled Eggs

Cover the eggs with 1-inch of water and cook on high heat until the water comes to a full boil. Once the water boils, remove the pot from the heat, add about a tablespoon of white vinegar and cover the pot. Allow the eggs to sit in the pot, without heat, for 15 minutes to complete the cooking process.

While waiting for eggs to finish cooking fill a large bowl or basin with ice and water to make a ice bath. When eggs are finished cooking remove from hot water and place in ice bath for 20 minutes. Cooling the eggs quickly prevents the greenish/gray ring from forming around the yolk, which can affect the appearance (color) of the filling. Drain and used as desired.