Mar 2, 2013

Hard Boiled Eggs

Most people like hard boiled eggs, and we eat them in a variety of ways; straight out of the shell, sliced on a sandwich, chopped on a salad, deviled, pickled, and egg salad. The biggest debates I've experienced are about how to make them. There are several different ways, I've tried all of them, but you have to find what works for you. I was taught to put the eggs in a pot, cover them with water plus 1 inch, bring to a boil, cover the pan with a lid, turn off the burner, let sit for 20 minutes, rinse them in cold running water for a few minutes.

The next way I tried to make them was to bring them to a boil, turn the burner down to medium, and heat for 12-15 minutes before cooling in ice water. The next way was to bring it to a boil and let it continue for 8-10 minutes before cooling in running water. They ALL turned out about the same, AWESOME! But, the best way I've found to make them appears below as a recipe. Since I am single, I only make 4 at a time, bulk it up for the amount you want to make

Ingredients
  • 2 TBSP distilled white vinegar
  • Enough water to cover plus 1 inch
  • 4 large eggs
Directions
  1. Bring water and vinegar to a boil over a high heat.
  2. Gently add eggs (so they don't crack).
  3. Reduce to a slow boil, and heat for 14 minutes.
  4. Remove eggs and cool in an ice bath or under running cold water for 15 minutes.
Notes
Using the vinegar helps make them easy to peel, you won't taste it
Cooling them for that time shrinks the yolk so they slip out cleanly
Eat cooked ones within 2 hours or refrigerate for up to a week
If the yolk has a greenish color, they are overcooked
Small eggs need less cook time, extra large need a little more

Remember, recipes are guidelines, not a blueprint. Take some time to figure out what works for your hard boiled eggs by experimenting with times, temperatures, etc. for the size and type of eggs you normally get. But overall, enjoy...

2 comments:

  1. Hi, Another factor for peeling hard boiled eggs is how fresh the eggs are. Store bought eggs are usually older than a week and that makes it alright to peel. But I raise backyard chickens and fresh eggs can be difficult. A friend told me to add salt and/or baking soda to the water and that helps when it comes to peeling.
    So with Hard Boiled eggs, older is better :) But not too old!

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    Replies
    1. Lovely Leslie, thanks for the suggestion! I don't keep salt in my house so I haven't tried that. I'll have to try the baking soda one though, need to find more ways to use my supply up before it expires, LOL.

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