The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg
Today’s post is pretty much as basic as it gets but such a vital skill to have in the kitchen, in my opinion. Because one of my pet peeves is overcooked hard-boiled eggs – you know, the ones that have the ugly green-grey ring around the yolk when you slice them in half and a rubbery texture? It’s so simple to get perfect hard boiled eggs that are soft and mellow with the perfect, creamy pale yellow yolk in the center and no unsightly grey ring! We tend to eat a LOT of eggs around here and there is often a bowl of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for a quick, easy breakfast or lunch or snack. They are so easy to chop up and throw into salads for some extra protein. Last week when we were in Yosemite, I packed a picnic lunch with egg-salad and made sandwiches that were gone faster than you can say “Yogi Bear”. And when we were doing a Whole30 last year, Paul liked taking them to work for a breakfast on the go. If you are interested in other kitchen tutorials I have posted you might want to check out how to make roasted garlic or how to make roasted red peppers. Here are some unnecessary pictures walking you through the process of how to make perfect hard boiled eggs.
How to make the Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
1. Place the eggs in the bottom of a saucepan or pot in a single layer and cover them with at least an inch of water.
I was just doing 6 eggs this day so I used a small saucepan but this approach works for more eggs as long as you use a larger pot.
How long do you boil Hard Boiled Eggs?
2. Bring the water to a full, rolling boil over high heat, then cover with a lid, turn off the heat, and set the timer for 12 minutes.
There are theories that adding a teaspoon of vinegar or ½ a teaspoon of salt to the water can make the eggs easier to peel but I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to make a difference to me. But definitely set your timer once you put the lid on and turn the heat off. 12 minutes is perfect for me, every time, but if your eggs are smaller or you live at a higher altitude, that could have some impact and you might need a minute or two more or a minute or two less. But having cooked eggs this way in Utah (higher elevation) and California (lower elevation), 12 minutes is pretty much the gold standard for me.
3. Run cold water over the cooked eggs to stop the cooking process.
As soon as the timer goes off, take the lid off the eggs and set them in the sink under the tap. Drain the hot water and run cold water over the eggs to cool them quickly and stop the cooking process. I usually hold my pan at an angle for a minute or so because the hot eggs will warm up cold water pretty fast.
How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs: How do you know when hard boiled eggs are done?
This one can be a little tricky. My best trick is to make sure you time it and you will have perfect eggs every time. Another trick is to spin the egg. A hard boiled egg will spin nicely and a raw egg will wobble.
Perfect Hard Boiled Egg: how to store hard boiled eggs
After a minute or two under cold water, you can drain the water and store the cooked hard-boiled eggs in a covered container in the fridge for 5 days.
How long can you keep Hard Boiled Eggs?
Hard boiled eggs will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Peeled or unpeeled, you shouldn’t store them for more than a week.
How long can hard boiled eggs sit out?
Eggs should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours.
Do hard boiled eggs need to be refrigerated?
Yes, hard boiled eggs should be refrigerated. They should not be left out for more than two hours. If you are going on a picnic or packing a lunch, make sure they are kept cool.
Can you freeze Hard Boiled Eggs?
Yes and no. When frozen the whites of the egg become tough and rubbery and release excess water when thawed. But, cooked yolks freeze really well. So eat the whites and freeze the yolks to be used for deviled eggs or an egg salad.
Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe: how to peel hard boiled eggs
My best tip for peeling hard-boiled eggs without having the egg white fall apart is to crack the shell on the bottom, rounded part of the egg instead of the pointier end or on the sides of the egg. The round bottom area is where the air bubble is and if you start peeling from there you have your best shot at getting the shell off without massacring the white. Once I get the egg peeled, I always give them a quick rinse, just in case there are any small pieces of shell stuck to the egg. Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
