I Really Hate Peeling Boiled Eggs...

[KellyTheChef]

Does anyone have a SURE FIRE way to make your eggs easy to peel once boiled?

I have tried salt in the water, vinegar in the water, and BOTH of them in the water...Also, I have tried using ice cubes to really shock them and bring the temp down quickly. Oh! I also crack them (crack, then roll on the side of the sink to crack them all over) and then let them sit in the water so (theoretically) the water will get in between the egg and the shell... I have also tried running cold water on them as I am peeling them...and tried warm water running onto them as I am peeling them. NO LUCK!

My boiling method works perfect for me. Start them in a pan with COLD water, bring them just to a boil, shut off and cover for 15-20 minutes. Perfectly cooked, and no green yolks!

It's the PEELING them part where I would like to SCREAM!

I swear the eggs we get now are DIFFERENT than the ones when I was little. Now EVERY batch is a PITA to peel, where I only remember occasionally having this problem when I was younger and helping my mom peel them!

 

[pamperedlinda]

You've tried what I would have suggested. The only other thing is to use eggs that are a few days old. Fresh eggs are the worst!

 

[AnnieBee]

I could be completely wrong, but I think it might be to do with how fresh the eggs are...

Anyone else out there have a clue?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

LOL! I was going to post the same thing!

The fresher the egg, the harder it is to peel.

I ABHOR peeling boiled eggs....I am in love with the Egglands Best Boiled Eggs, and will pay the extra money to buy them.

Either that, or I put DH on egg peeling duty. He loves egg salad, egg in his salads, pickled eggs, and deviled eggs - so I tell him I'll make whatever it is he is wishing for if he'll peel the eggs for me.

 

[chefann]

That's right. The older the eggs are, the easier they peel. My mom always bought eggs a couple of weeks before Easter so they'd have some time to "age" in the fridge before boiling.As they age, air gets into the egg through the shell, enlarging the air pocket between the membrane and the shell. The larger the air pocket, the easier they are to peel.Kelly- DH and I boil eggs the same way you do. We've found that rinsing them under cold running water stops the cooking, and seems to make them a little easier to peel later as well.

 

[PampChefJoy]

Definitely old eggs... that's the only thing I've consistently found to make it easier to peel. I always keep two cartons in the fridge... one fresh and one "aging" for boiling.

 

[redsoxgirl]

I found this info on 2 different sites:

Extremely fresh eggs will not peel easily. In fact, an egg that is just a day or two old is almost impossible to peel. As eggs age, the shells will peel more easily. It is advisable that eggs used for hard cooking (including Easter Eggs) be at least 2 weeks old before cooking for easiest peeling. Hard cooked eggs that are cooked slowly over low heat (and not ‘boiled’) will be more difficult to peel.

---------------

1. Put a difficult to peel hard boiled egg in the microwave.
2. Zap the egg for about twenty seconds. The slight microwave energy will cause the membrane under the shell to lift easily from the egg surface.
3. Remove the egg and peel it. It will be easy.

TIPS
- Don't crack the egg first.
- Another way is to crack the egg and then with your thumb and fingers go all around the egg cracking it all over. then run quickly under water. Now you can easily peel off the shell!
- To avoid the problem in the first place boil raw eggs in salty water. They will be very easy to peel if you do.

WARNINGS
- Don't zap the egg for too long!
- Because the egg has multiple levels of density, this method is very dangerous. The inside of the egg will heat up at different levels and at different rates, causing the potential for a small explosion if the outer layer (egg white) is broken. This could cause small fragments of egg shell to become airbourne at high speed, posing the threat of eye injury. (If you can somehow microwave with the door open, that is.)

 

[ilovepc]

Hi! I crack them on both ends and then roll them in my palms like you would if you were trying to warm your hands but now you have something in them... Does this make sense. The friction causes the whole peel to come off in a big section. At least it works for me!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Grrrr...I always have 2-3 dozen in the frig so I can "age" them cuz I have heard of that too! It's probably just the darn chemicals that are fed to the chickens! Like I said, I NEVER remember it being this difficult to peel eggs 20 years ago!

Thanks for the hints...if anyone has anything else I can try, let me know!

 

[stacywhitlow]

I boil mine the same way. Then immediately run them under cold water (still in pot) until the water pours cold. Lightly tap egg to make crack then rub gently between hands to loosen. Hope that helps. I also hate peeling eggs.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Hi! I crack them on both ends and then roll them in my palms like you would if you were trying to warm your hands but now you have something in them... Does this make sense. The friction causes the whole peel to come off in a big section. At least it works for me!

I will try this! Sounds similar to what I do, but slightly different, so it's worth a try!

 

[KellyTheChef]

I found this info on 2 different sites:

Extremely fresh eggs will not peel easily. In fact, an egg that is just a day or two old is almost impossible to peel. As eggs age, the shells will peel more easily. It is advisable that eggs used for hard cooking (including Easter Eggs) be at least 2 weeks old before cooking for easiest peeling. Hard cooked eggs that are cooked slowly over low heat (and not ‘boiled’) will be more difficult to peel. Great...now that I know how to boil them so they don't turn green and nasty, it makes it HARDER to peel!! lol---------------

1. Put a difficult to peel hard boiled egg in the microwave.
2. Zap the egg for about twenty seconds. The slight microwave energy will cause the membrane under the shell to lift easily from the egg surface.
3. Remove the egg and peel it. It will be easy.

TIPS
- Don't crack the egg first.
- Another way is to crack the egg and then with your thumb and fingers go all around the egg cracking it all over. then run quickly under water. Now you can easily peel off the shell!
- To avoid the problem in the first place boil raw eggs in salty water. They will be very easy to peel if you do. Hmmm...tried this. Maybe I need to try MORE salt....WARNINGS
- Don't zap the egg for too long!
- Because the egg has multiple levels of density, this method is very dangerous. The inside of the egg will heat up at different levels and at different rates, causing the potential for a small explosion if the outer layer (egg white) is broken. This could cause small fragments of egg shell to become airbourne at high speed, posing the threat of eye injury. (If you can somehow microwave with the door open, that is.)

I inserted my comments in red above...

 

[KellyTheChef]

Well, at least I am not the only one who gets totally frustrated by peeling eggs!

 

[jenniferlynne]

This is what I doWhen I have an egg that is hard to peel, I take a spoon and very gently stick the edge of the spoon between the egg and the thin layer of membrane under the shell. Very gently rock the spoon back and forth and it will work it's way up under the membrane and pull the peel right off. Believe it or not, one of my Mom's boyfriends showed me this when I was probably 10 years old, and I never forgot it.

 

[redsoxgirl]

buy http://www.eggstractor.net/.. LOL

http://www.rkdm.com/eggstractor/egg.gif

 

[Kodeysmom]

I have no advice-will have ti use some of the ideas given on here. But all I can think of is the episode of Ellen where she tries out some as seen on tv items-she tries out the egg peeler plus thingy-it is hilarious. Search utube. I believe we discussed some of these on here when the excerxise chair video was going around. I will search later when I am not at work and post the link on here.

 

[chefann]

That egg peeler thing looks like it's, um, pooping eggs.

 

[KellyTheChef]

That egg peeler thing looks like it's, um, pooping eggs.

Ann...good thing I wasn't taking a drink when I read your post!

 

[PChefPEI]

I didn't read all the replies, but keep in mind that the fresher the eggs, the harder they are to peel. We learned that when we had our own laying hens. I would always make sure to use the eggs that were 5 or so days old for hard boiled eggs.

 

[PChefPEI]

That egg peeler thing looks like it's, um, pooping eggs.

Ann, you're bad......but you are so right!! LOL

 

[tabnat80]

hahah! Yall are so funny. Pooping eggs. LOL

 

[tabnat80]

That little pooping egg tool does look mighty neat. Maybe PC will come out with one of it's own. maybe you should send the picture to HO for suggestions

 

[redsoxgirl]

My dad's wife has one and said it doesn't really work that great...

another as-seen-on-tv product that doesn't do what it says... shocker!
LOL

 

[jrstephens]

I have nevre found a sure fire way to peel them and neither my mom. I do seem to have more success when I peel them as soon as possible and do not let them sit, but that is not sure fire either.

 

[jcsmilez]

That little pooping egg tool does look mighty neat. Maybe PC will come out with one of it's own. maybe you should send the picture to HO for suggestions

That's funny, at a show the other day I meant to say egg slicer and I said egg peeler, and a few eyes perked up and we all talked about how wouldn't be nice...

If PC makes one they'll have to come up with a better name though, some how, Egg Pooper doesn't have a great PC appeal.

 

[coriatc]

I actually BOIL mine for 15 minutes ... i will put them in with cold water, bring to a boil, and then continue the boil for 15 minutes. Then I put them in ice and water for 5-10 minutes. When I do this, I do not have problems with peeling them ... and I don't have green yolks either.

 

[stephanieboyd]

I use a spoon and it's much easier!! Still not fool proof, but at least husband proof! The curvature of a regular spoon (like a cereal spoon) is the same contour of an egg. I just crack the egg on the fat end to catch that air pocket, then slide the spoon in and run it around the shell. Off with one swoop. I just had to do 2 dozen devilled eggs for DH's summer picnic. It was much less hassle with this method than previous years.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I will give the spoon way a try too!

Thanks!

 

[jillbean]

Ok, completly wrong for your problem but...
If you want to keep eggs from aging too quickly rub them down with just a little bit of oil when you buy them. It keeps the shells from breaking down so quickly.

As for the peeling, I use salt in the water and just genlty tap the egg all over. Same idea as rubbing it between your hands. It always comes right off.

 

[jillbean]

I'm lovin' the spoon thing!! Gonna have to try it!!

 

[Jenni]

I use a spoon and it's much easier!! Still not fool proof, but at least husband proof! The curvature of a regular spoon (like a cereal spoon) is the same contour of an egg. I just crack the egg on the fat end to catch that air pocket, then slide the spoon in and run it around the shell. Off with one swoop. I just had to do 2 dozen devilled eggs for DH's summer picnic. It was much less hassle with this method than previous years.

The spoon trick works great for peeling a kiwi as well... I'm going to try it next time I make egg salad.

 

[chefmeg]

small hijack here....last year, DS was in 5th grade and they were learning about cells and their membranes...they had to do a project:
we measured an egg and put it in water then vinegar then corn syrup....the egg stayed in each a period of a few days. Talk about gross!
It was soooooo nasty to watch this egg absorb and release water that I had to remove it from the kitchen to the living room so that we could eat without having to see it!
I haven't looked at an egg the same way since!

 

[Stephaniecafe]

Okay that is gross! I felt the same as that egg when I was on infertility meds! What will make this egg the largest? EEEk! As for peeling eggs, I have been spoiled in foodservice! We get these 5 gallon buckets of pre-cooked and peeled eggs. Haven't had to peel and egg in a long time! I do recall chilling them makes them easier to peel after cooking. It sets up the proteins a lot more. But other than that, no extra advice. Sorry Kelly!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Stephanie! I saw that you were the last person to reply to this thread, so I clicked on it just KNOWING that you were going to have the perfect solution for me! lol

I loved the big 5 gallon buckets of eggs that we used to get when I worked for Wendy's...THAT is easy way of peeling eggs!!

 

[itsjustCarla]

Here's what I do and I rarely have a problem. After I cook them, I drain all the hot water out of them. I pour a little bit of cold water in the pan, cover with a lid and SHAKE IT. Don't put too much water in the pan, just enough to cover them about half way up or less. Shake kinda hard a few times. On older eggs, the shells almost fall off....the newer eggs have to be peeled but it comes off a little easier.

 

[erin.tpc]

My MIL just sent me this email today...so funny you would be asking about peeling boiled eggs! I'm not sure how realistic this approach really is, but I thought it was an interesting alternative.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/24/how-to-peel-hard-boiled-eggs-without-peeling.aspx?source=nl

 

[chefshawna]

I actually BOIL mine for 15 minutes ... i will put them in with cold water, bring to a boil, and then continue the boil for 15 minutes. Then I put them in ice and water for 5-10 minutes. When I do this, I do not have problems with peeling them ... and I don't have green yolks either.

This is what I do too and I've never had any problem with peeling, as a matter of fact, I LOVE to peel eggs!! My kids always beg to help peel also! LOL If you want to ship your eggs to NC, I will peel them for you!

 

[chefshawna]

That's a cool video and idea, but I wouldn't want to serve guests eggs I'd blown all over!! LOL
Wow, that sounds dirty!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

You've tried what I would have suggested. The only other thing is to use eggs that are a few days old. Fresh eggs are the worst!

That's funny because I have the best luck with fresh eggs!

Also, once the water has come to a boil- put a cover on the pot, take it off the heat and let them steep in the hot water for 7 minutes. Take out, put in an ice water bath for a few minutes- then crack and peel.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

I think there is something different with the eggs today. They were so much easier to peel years ago. I always have problems now. In the past it would only be problems w/a few eggs! Drives me crazy!!

 

[KellyTheChef]

I think there is something different with the eggs today. They were so much easier to peel years ago. I always have problems now. In the past it would only be problems w/a few eggs! Drives me crazy!!

Rhonda...I couldn't agree more! It is driving me a little nutso!

 

[redsoxgirl]

small hijack here....last year, DS was in 5th grade and they were learning about cells and their membranes...they had to do a project:
we measured an egg and put it in water then vinegar then corn syrup....the egg stayed in each a period of a few days. Talk about gross!
It was soooooo nasty to watch this egg absorb and release water that I had to remove it from the kitchen to the living room so that we could eat without having to see it!
I haven't looked at an egg the same way since!

We let an egg sit in straight vinegar for a few days in science and you could watch the shell discolve. After it was over, you were left with an egg as only the membrane as its"shell". It's pretty cool and every few years I do it again just because it's so neat!

 

[quiverfull7]

I was venting this same complaint to a fabulous southern cook here one day as she was telling me she was leaving a ballgame to go home and make like 4 dozen deviled eggs. She just smiled and asked if I wanted her secrect to which of course I said yes. She boils them, cools them with ice and then drains all the water out of the pan. She then covers the pan, lifts it in front of her and swirls and gently shakes the eggs against one another. The shells crack all up and you just slide the whole eggs right out. It works like a charm!!!!!!!

 

[Michelle817]

I hate it too. The only tip I have is this- if you crack it & start peeling it on the end of the egg that's rounder than the other end, it's a little bit easier. One of the ends is always pointier & one is rounder. The rounder end is the side that has an air pocket under it, so when you peel there, you can get under the shell better.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

I think Martha Stewart has a tool to make peeling it easier...well I know she used something for garlic but I was sure there was something for eggs. I don't eat hardboiled eggs so I don' thave an issue like you all do! LOL

 

[tpopescu]

I tried to skim everyone's replies, and I didn't see my trick..but here is what I do: I start with the eggs in cold water. Bring to a boil then take them off the heat, cover and let sit for 13 minutes. (exactly 13!) I live in VA so high altitudes are different. I drain them, then cover with cold ice water to cool. Then to peel them, I take 2 eggs, place them in a small sauce pan, cover it and swirl them around. The peels crack alot, and then you can usually remove them in one piece under running water. This is a trick I learned from my aunt in Colorado--it works even at my altitude...good luck and let me know if it works for you!

 

[chefmeg]

Terry!!!! Where in Richmond are you!? I am in Chesterfield!!!!