Easter’s over and we can all start thinking about eggs as food rather than a treat that’s made out of milk chocolate or something we hide to make a fun game for children. Eggs are an almost perfect food and the humble hard-boiled egg is one of the best choices for a snack or a meal.
There are many posts on how to make a perfect hard-boiled egg and this is my version. Two things are important when it comes to hard-boiled eggs. First, most people prefer a yolk that’s firm and creamy rather than a dry, overcooked one. The second thing is to cook the egg in a way that will allow the egg to be separated from the shell easily and without losing half the egg white when you remove the shell.
Easy Hard Boiled Egg
When it’s done the wrong way, a hard-boiled egg is hard to peel and you can often end up with a greenish colour on the outside of the yolk.
How you cook the egg is a matter of preference. Some feel there’s no need to boil eggs for several minutes as most people do, and they cook them by letting them sit in boiled water. I don’t think the method of cooking makes much difference when it comes to peeling the egg – the main thing is to avoid a rapid boil as this will most likely cause some of the eggs to crack from bouncing around in the pan.
How To Make A Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg
I prefer to take the eggs out of the refrigerator and let them adjust to room temperature before I put them in the water. Place the room temperature eggs in a pot and cover with warm water. The idea is to bring the eggs to boiling temperature gradually. Don’t add salt or baking soda to the water.
Place the covered pot on a stove at medium heat and bring the water to a gentle boil, reduce heat to minimum and simmer until eggs are cooked to the desired degree – usually four to five minutes, depending on the size of the eggs. Large eggs take longer to cook than smaller eggs.
Easy Way to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs
Once the eggs have cooked to the desired degree, drain the pot and cover the eggs with cool tap water for a minute or two so they don’t keep cooking, then take them out of the water. Take an egg and gently tap the egg against a flat surface like a kitchen counter to crack the shell on all sides. You could roll the egg on the counter if you like, just make sure the shell is cracked on all sides. Alternatively, you could tap the egg with the handle of your butter knife at the table just before you eat it.
This is the trick I’ve found that works best. Cracking the egg on all sides separates the shell from the egg white, and you will find the eggs much easier to peel.
Only peel the eggs you intend to eat right away. Eggs in the shell can be refrigerated for up to one week. I always boil a few extra to have on hand for a snack or a quick meal. Having ready to eat food on hand is how you get away from needing to buy prepared foods and snack foods.
The key to a healthy diet is to always have healthy food choices on hand so you can break the habit of buying prepared foods and snacks. To find out more about healthy foods and keeping your weight in check, get a copy of the ELH Diet from Amazon. It’s on sale for $4.99 as an eBook or for $12.99 USD for the paperback version.