How to cook hard-boiled eggs so shells don't stick?

[Snoozan]

I need to make some devilled eggs this weekend and sometimes have trouble getting the shells to come off the eggs without sticking. Is there some trick in cooking eggs so the shells easily peel off?

 

[NMAmy]

My dad was a great cook and he taught me this trick. After boiling the eggs, remove them from the pan and place them in a bowl of extremely cold water. As the water warms, replace it with more cold water. I never have a hard time peeling the eggs when I do this.

 

[lynxstch]

use some that you have had for a week or so..for some reason it's almost impossible to remove the shells from the new ones without ruining the eggs...here's my foolproof method for hard cooked eggs...place eggs in a pan of cold water (I use one of those egg piercers to pierce one end first)..cover, bring water to a boil, shut heat off..wait 15 min...drain hot water..shake the eggs around the pan so the shells crack...fill pan with cold water a few times...then take the eggs out and the shells just about fall off

 

[ConcKahuna]

Along the same line, I just put mine in the sink and run the cold water over them.

 

[3jsmommy]

I think I remember reading that you salt the water.

 

[MushyMushy]

I add lots of ice to the pan when I start to cool the eggs.

 

[Snoozan]

Thanks for the suggestions - I always do the cold water/ice to cool them off, too, but am not always successful in getting the shells to come off easily. I'll try some of the other suggestions, though.

 

[ocd4disney]

You can add a little vegetable oil to the water and the shells will slide right off.

 

[mjkacmom]

I bring to a boil, cover, shut off heat, and wait 15 minutes, and then run them under cold water. The best advice is to use old eggs, though.

 

[figment52]

I add a little vinegar to the water thta I use to cook them and also do the cold water soak when they are finished cooking.

Thanks for reminding me I wanted to make deviled eggs this weekend.

 

[kathie859]

The reason you want to use eggs at least a week old is that as eggs age, the membrane shrinks slightly away from the shell making peeling so much easier.

Also, salting the water and plunging the cooked eggs in cold water helps. Again, that cold water will cause the shell and membrane to separate making peeling simpler.

Hope your deviled eggs are de-lish!

 

[Pop Daddy]

be a man and eat the shells

 

[Breezy_Carol]

use some that you have had for a week or so..

Use older eggs. When I know I want to make deviled for a picnic, I always buy my eggs a week ahead.

 

[mmcguire]

be a man and eat the shells

Pop Daddy you crack me up!

My great aunt taught me this method: Start eggs off in cold water, bring to a boil, boil for 1 min, then shut off the burner, leaving the eggs in the hot water for 15 min (they cook perfectly, no runny middle, no green edges). Rinse several times in very cold water.

I think the temp difference b/t the inside & outside is the trick -- if I have leftover boiled eggs in the shell that are cold from the fridge, I run them under HOT water and the shells slip right off.

 

[kathie859]

be a man and eat the shells

Great idea! We've been advised that Americans have a diet too low in fiber!

 

[GeorgeG]

You mean we're not supposed to eat the shells?

We get the packaged hard-boiled eggs from Publix and the shells are already removed.