Trouble with hard-boiled eggs

BookMasterJMV

BookMasterJMV

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I didn't know where to post this, so if this is the wrong forum, sorry about that!

I'm wondering if any of my fellow foodies out there have any suggestions for peeling hard-boiled eggs. For the past year or so, I haven't had any luck with them and they look like they went through a war once I'm done with them.

Any tips?
 
Well, it's a good idea to use fresh eggs, as they peel easier. Plunge them into cold water as soon as they come off the heat. Then, when they're cold, I usually bash them on the work surface and roll them around in my hands before peeling them. That seems to do the trick for me. If I do have any that 'look like they went through a war,' I chop them up and make egg mayonnaise sandwich filling.
 
Ah, now, I thought it was the case that very fresh eggs were more difficult to peel... I think I read it, I might be wrong...
 
My sister says that if you boil eggs in salt water then they are easier to peel, but I haven't tried this so I don't know. I usually try the cold water after the heat method. This works for me but I also keep my hands wet as well as I peel my eggs. I have a lot of success this way.
 
Arch said:
Ah, now, I thought it was the case that very fresh eggs were more difficult to peel... I think I read it, I might be wrong...
Click to expand...

If you read it wrong, Arch, so did I... and many times. I've heard and read that eggs should not be fresh and not real old when it comes to peeling. I always have them for at least a week before trying to hard boil them.

For the original question, I've had trouble peeling for some reason lately, too... and never did before. It's almost as if egg shells are getting thicker/tougher than they were in the past. I won't let my mind wander to try to determine why that may be! It's important to put them into cold water immediately, and don't over-cook them. :happy:
 
I wonder if free-range organic chickens have stronger shells that battery or indoor chickens?
 
I have to admit that my best online resource for technology matters is LifeHacker's website, but having myself trouble peeling eggs, I thought that I had never looked at this place to see if any advice available.

To my surprise (not being a technology affair) I found that they have information on this subject, and useful feedback from users that have found different ways to make egg peeling possible.

Have to try some of these next time, but here is the link so you can try them out as well, http://lifehacker.com/5651930/easily-peel-hard+boiled-eggs
 
Arch said:
I wonder if free-range organic chickens have stronger shells that battery or indoor chickens?
Click to expand...
You never know. Maybe they do. Considering what they like to feed chickens nowadays you can not be too careful.
 
I was just looking for the same information. I had always heard that less fresh eggs would peel better, but the last 10+ times I've tried to peel the eggs they've been all stuck to the shell and won't separate easily. These were not super fresh eggs, they were purchased at our local chain grocery store and had been in our fridge for some time past that. Then I thought maybe I wasn't boiling them enough, or vice versa so I tried both and still no luck.

I've got four I hard boiled last night sitting in the fridge waiting to get peeled. I may try the roll on the counter under your hand method to see if that works for me. It seemed to work in the videos. I will post the results when I find out.
 
To be honest I've never had problems. I do as Sandra already suggested and plunge them into cold water as soon as they are done cooking.

Also.. you might notice that there is a thin umm.. film? between the shell and the egg white. Use that when peeling the egg, the shell seems to stick to it. :p
 
Yeah I do that too but sometimes I get an egg that peels bad but I don't care since I'm going to eat it anyway.
 
I've found that a freshly boiled egg that is still hot peels easily, shell and membrane come away together. If the eggs have been left to cool, say packed in a lunch or picnic unshelled then the shell will come away leaving the membrane stuck to the egg white.

Also, I have found, if the egg cracked while being boiled then that can make it difficult to peal cleanly.
 
use a teaspoon. sounds mad, but you only need to get a small area off and then slide the teaspoon in on the ones that won't peel and then just run the teaspoon around the egg and the shell comes off really easily. (We have the same issues with Duck's eggs from time to time when they are very freshly laid...)
 
I never thought about using a teaspoon on an egg. I will try that out and see how it works for me. Then I will let my sister know so she can try it too.
 
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