Boiling (and Peeling) Fresh Eggs

So, you’ve got great eggs, but you can’t figure out how to peel them after you’ve boiled them without pulling off huge chunks of the white.  Here’s the answer.

Fresh eggs are much harder to peel when hard-boiled than older eggs are.  You may not ever have a problem peeling grocery store eggs, but if you’ve got really fresh eggs to work with, you’ll undoubtedly need to adjust your technique.

Begin heating a pot of water.  You should use more water than you may be used to, since a larger volume of water will maintain its temperature better when the eggs are added.

While the water is heating up, wash the eggs if necessary, and begin preparing your workspace.  You’ll need a large bowl with ice water for chilling the eggs after they come out of the pot.

Once your water has reached a rolling boil, gently add the eggs.  Set a timer for 12 minutes.  Return to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to maintain a strong simmer.  When the timer is up, remove the eggs directly into the ice water and allow to cool until they are comfortable to handle, at least 5 minutes.

Shocking the eggs with the cold water helps the shells to separate from the whites, similar to blanching a tomato or peach to peel it.

If done according to these directions, you should have no trouble peeling your eggs, no matter how fresh they are.  Good luck!

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