Have you ever wondered how to make hard boiled eggs that turn out perfect every time? I’m going to show you.
I love hard-boiled eggs. They are inexpensive, easy to cook, and you can use them in so many recipes. The perfect hard-boiled egg has a creamy yolk without a greenish tint and the egg white is firm but not rubbery. With some hard-boiled eggs on hand, you can enjoy them as a snack with salt and pepper, slice them into salads, or chop them up and add them to recipes like tuna salad. You can also turn them into deviled eggs or use them in a healthy egg salad. In this blog post I'm going to walk you through how to make both hard boiled and soft boiled eggs. Let’s get cracking!
When it comes to eggs, market shelves are filled with terms like “cage-free” and “free-range.” I personally prefer pasture-raised eggs because of their quality. Pasture-raised eggs have a noticeably better taste, texture, and color than eggs laid by conventionally-raised chickens. You can tell the difference by the bright-orange yolks that stand up tall when cooked and don’t break, as well as the thick whites that don’t run. They are also healthier. Researchers found that one pasture-raised egg contains twice as much omega-3 fat, three times more vitamin D, four times more vitamin E, and seven times more beta-carotene than eggs from hens raised on traditional feed.
WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Good for you. Hard-boiled eggs are a convenient and affordable source of protein. Additionally, they offer important nutrients like vitamin D, zinc, calcium, choline, and all of the B vitamins.
- Perfectly-boiled eggs every time. With this recipe, you’ll always get a creamy yolk and an egg white that is firm but not rubbery.
- No special equipment needed. All you need is the eggs, a pot, a strainer, water, and some ice. That’s it!
- Easy to make. As long as you get the timings right, this is one of the easiest hard-boiled recipes you’ll ever come across.
INGREDIENTS
Here’s what you’ll need as you learn how to make hard boiled eggs:
- Eggs
- Water
- Ice
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Eggs: I’m a fan of pasture-raised heirloom blue eggs from Vital Farms. Locally here in New Jersey I also buy the Stockton Village Farm eggs from Basil Bandwagon Natural Market. Both brands of pasture-raised eggs have the dark-orange yolks that I love.
- Water: For cooking the eggs.
- Ice: Used to stop the cooking process so that the eggs don’t get overcooked.
HOW TO MAKE HARD BOILED EGGS: STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: PLACE EGGS IN SAUCEPAN
Place cold eggs straight from the refrigerator into a medium-sized saucepan. Arrange them in a single layer and be sure not to crowd them. The eggs should fit comfortably in the saucepan.
Fill the saucepan with enough cold water to cover the eggs by an inch or two. The more eggs you have, the more water you will need. My daughter enjoyed helping me with this part.
STEP 2: BOIL THE EGGS
Place the uncovered saucepan on the stovetop. Bring the water to a boil on the stovetop over high heat.
Once the water comes to a full rolling boil, cover the saucepan with a lid and turn off the heat. Set a timer for 12 minutes.
STEP 3: PEEL THE EGGS
Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
When the timer goes off, use a mesh strainer to remove the eggs from the hot water and immerse them into the prepared ice bath. Leave the eggs in the ice water for about 10 minutes, or until they reach room temperature.
To peel an egg, first gently tap the wide end of the egg to crack the shell. Next, hold the egg under cold running water as you peel it to help ease the shell off. You can slide a spoon between the shell and egg white to separate them.
If you’re not eating the eggs immediately, place them in a covered container and store them in the refrigerator.
EXPERT TIPS
- Add vinegar and salt to the water. The vinegar prevents any egg whites from running if an egg happens to crack while boiling. On the other hand, the salt helps to make the eggs easier to peel as well as prevent cracking. Add them to cold water that has the eggs before boiling.
- Altitude affects cooking time. If you live in a high-altitude area, you’ll need to let the eggs stand in the hot water for longer than the recommended time.
- How to store boiled eggs. Peeled hard-boiled eggs can keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Store them in a covered container. However, unpeeled boiled eggs can keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- How to peel without destroying the egg. Hard-boiled eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling. Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell. Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. To make it easier, buy and refrigerate the eggs a week to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief “breather” allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.
- How to reheat boiled eggs. After you’ve learned how to make hard boiled eggs, you’ve got to know how to reheat them. The best way is by placing the eggs in a heatproof bowl, slowly pouring boiling hot water over them, and letting them sit for 5-10 minutes. It’s best not to reheat boiled eggs in a microwave. Steam builds up too quickly inside and the eggs are likely to explode.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do you hard boil eggs step-by-step?
Here’s how to make hard boiled eggs perfectly every time. Start off with placing your raw eggs in a pot in a single layer and covering them with cold water — about an inch of water above the eggs. Next, bring the eggs and water to a full boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the eggs sit for 10-12 minutes. Once time is up, remove the eggs from the pot and place them in a bowl of ice water for at least 10 minutes. Gently tap the eggs against a hard surface. Peel away the shell under cold running water. Enjoy or store in the fridge in a covered container.
How long do you have to boil a hard boiled egg for?
Once the water containing the eggs has reached a rolling boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10-12 minutes.
How do you boil eggs so they peel easily?
To improve your chances of a successful peel, make sure to chill your eggs completely after boiling. Let them sit in the ice bath for at least 15 minutes. The cooler the egg is, the firmer and tighter its structure will be, and the less likely it will be to develop craters when you pry off the shell.
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How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
Eggs
Instructions
First we’re going to place the eggs right out of the refrigerator into a medium size saucepan. Next, I’m going to add enough water to cover the eggs by an inch or two. The more eggs you have in the saucepan the more water you will need. So six eggs need about an inch covering them whereas 7 to 12 bags will need to be covered by 2 inches of water.
Now at this point if you want to add some extras you can feel free to add a teaspoon of vinegar to help prevent any egg whites from running out if an egg if it happens to crack while cooking. Or some people like to add half a teaspoon of salt to the water to make them easier to peel and also to prevent cracking. You don’t need to add either of these ingredients but if you want to, you can have vinegar and/or salt this point.
Place the uncovered saucepan on the stove. Turn the heat to high to bring the water to boil.
Once the water comes to a full rolling boil we’re going to shut off the heat, cover the pan and just let the pot sit for 10 to 12 minutes. I’m gonna use my handy little chicken timer here to make sure I don’t lose track of time.
Ok, our timer went off so now we’re going transfer the eggs into an ice bath. I’m using a mesh strainer spoon, also known as a spider, did you do this and I’ll link it below. We’re gonna let the eggs sit in the ice bath for at least a few minutes until they’re cool. Personally I like to peel the eggs under some running water to make it go little easier.
Notes
Sidenote for any of you who live at a high altitude you’re gonna need to let the eggs sit in the hot water longer then us sea level folks.
Sidenote #2: If you like your egg yolks yo be a little softer you can let your eggs sit in the hot water for only six minutes or so.
HOW TO USE HARD BOILED EGGS IN RECIPES
- In sandwiches. You can make an egg salad sandwich or add some eggs to any other sandwich, like this tasty hummus sandwich.
- In salads. Add some hard-boiled eggs to a healthy mesclun salad, chef’s salad, potato salad, or any other salad you want to add more protein.
- For breakfast. Put some hard-boiled eggs on avocado toast.
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