How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Beth writes: “This is a dumb question, but how do you boil an egg? My eggs always have an ugly green ring around the yolk… what’s up with that?”
Not to worry! Cooking eggs is not an eggs-act science (Sorry…I just had to say that).
That green ring is harmless, but really ugly, especially if you are making deviled eggs. It’s caused by a chemical reaction between the iron in the yolk and the sulfur in the white. You’ll get that ring if you hard boil the egg too long at a high temperature. Also, the older the egg is, the greener yolk will get.
Here’s my recipe for how to make hard boiled eggs, courtesy of my pals at the American Egg Board and the Incredible Edible Egg.
AEB Image
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
prep: 1 minute
cook: 12 to 15 minutes
you’ll need…
As many eggs as you want to boil
Water
let’s get to it…
Place eggs right from the fridge in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add enough cold water to cover by 1-inch.
Heat over high heat until large bubbles start to rise from the bottom. Cover and remove from heat.
Let eggs stand in the pan for 18 minutes.
Drain. Serve immediately or run cold water over the eggs in the pan until they are cooled completely. Drain and refrigerate.
Because Mama is always a font of information (whether you want it or not), here are some other things you should know about How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs:
• Peel those eggs right after cooling because the egg contracts in the shell. When they’re cool, gently roll between your palms first and start peeling at the large end. You can also shake them in the pan to loosen the shells.
• Peeling eggs under cool running water helps the shells slip off.
• Fresh eggs are always harder to peel. Buy and refrigerate them for about a week before hard-boiling them.
• In the shell, you can refrigerate eggs for up to one week. If possible, put them back in the carton so they don’t absorb other refrigerator odors. Put a small “X” on the shell so you can tell the boiled from the raw.
Finally, NEVER try to cook an egg in the shell in the Microwave. It will explode. Yep, Mama learned this lesson a long time ago—the HARD way!
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All very helpful info! Thanks for sharing at Meatless Monday 🙂
LOVE Meatless Monday… I get so many great ideas!
This is one of the best food posts EVER! I’ve heard that baking soda in the water helps the shells to peel right off but that didn’t work well for me. I love that running cold water AS you peel it secret and the peeling right after cooling. My goal is to get the shell off in like 2 peels.
I’m trying to eat much healthier breakfasts and I usually boil 2 eggs in case one of them busts open while boiling. Do you know what causes that?
You may be boiling them at too high a temperature for too long… the boiling may be tossing them around so much they break. Try the method I outlined and see if it works. Thanks for reading!
That’s for this (eggs)act recipe. My kids love hard boiled eggs so I have to try this. So far it’s been pretty hit and miss. 🙂
It’s amazing how the age of the eggs makes a difference. I always read the “best by” date for that info. Thanks for stopping by again… let me know when you need a co-host!
I hopped over from the blog-hope at “Newlywed Moments”. I am now following your wonderful blog. I really love the way it looks.
I always put a simple face drawing on my boiled eggs left in the refrigerator. It is fun to create different expressions. The children love it.
🙂 Hope
What a great idea… better than an X! I’m totally appropriating your idea… you can do anything! Initials, soccer balls… whatever! Clever Girl!