Great! I knew you’d all be so captivated by the title of this post, you’d just have to crack it open. Like a good hard-boiled egg… And here’s an amazing work of art to keep you here!
In all seriousness, I’m doing this post because I reached out on Facebook last week when I planned to color eggs with some kids for Easter, and realized I had no clue what the exact method for boiling an egg was. The response I got was amazing, and the best part of all: There is no exact right method! Anyway, I figured as ’tis the season for boiling eggs, it would be fun to share!
(If you’re believing “hard-boiling eggs” is a euphemism for something else and you’re still reading thinking something cool and hilarious is going to pop out of this post, it’s time to stop reading. It’s okay. I won’t be offended or hurt. I can take it.)
My favorites here:
“I find that exactly 13 minutes in a covered pot removed from the heat is perfect–if you go 17 you get that greenness around the yolks. Martha says so, and I have replicated her results.”
–AKP“I put the eggs in the pan, add water, and turn on the heat. Even though many people drop the eggs into boiling water, I leave them in there for 20 minutes from beginning to end.”
–JSR“I eat 6 hard boiled eggs a day…Boil the water…put in eggs….boil 13 minutes…. Run cold water over them and put them in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator.”
–SEB“I buy pre-hard-boiled eggs from Trader Joe’s so I don’t have to think about it.”
–SJ (Why didn’t I think of that!)“Here’s a sure proof method. With a needle, prick a whole in the large end of the egg. Lie the eggs horizontally before boiling to guarantee the yolk will be centered. Bring a pot of water to boil on high. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Turn the heat down a bit. Boil for 15 minutes. Pour the hot water out of the pot and run cold water into the pot and let the eggs stand in the cold water for a bit, then peel. The shell will come off easily and you’ll have perfect hard boiled eggs with no gray ring around the yolk. Trust me on this, because I’m the king of making deviled eggs!”
–DH“Put eggs in pot in COLD water with a small palm full of salt. Cover pot and listen. As soon as you hear eggs rattling TURN OFF HEAT. (If you have an electric stove remove pot from the heat source). Keeping covered 17 minutes. Remove lid and cool immediately with cold running water into pot. No green ring, no over or under cooked eggs. Just perfect!”
–SRK“Alton Brown method is non smelly and even my clumsy nine-year-old can do it. Place egg in pot filled with cold water. Then place on stovetop under moderate heat. Once water is boiling, turn heat off and cover pot. Set timer for 10 minutes. Once timer goes off, remove hot water from pot and run eggs under cold water. They come out perfect every time.”
–RM“I bake ‘em in the oven.”–JGD (Another “why didn’t I think of that?!” moment!)
Here’s a tip shared by TSR on how to bake them (looks like there’s lots of Easter fun going on this page if you want to “like” it): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=524347104271405&set=a.183531275019658.37582.177360958970023&type=1&theater
BTW, the other thing I learned this week is that while all kids love to color hard-boiled eggs, few like to eat them. Two for breakfast today and now only 28 more to eat. Anyone know how long these eggs will keep? Do chemicals in the dye help preserve them in any way? Please say they do.
Oh, and here’s what those who stopped reading will be missing:
Come on, you don’t really believe I had anything to do with these? The same woman who forgot the white vinegar so all the eggs colored pretty much stayed white? Nah! This is from a website that has the best Easter Egg designs you’ve ever seen. Check it out: http://fiz-x.com/easter-egg-designs/
Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Solstice, and Happy Anything-Else-You-Celebrate-This-Time-Of-Year! I hope whatever you’re doing is fun and egg-citing! (That for my friend Maria, who I don’t think reads my blog. We’ll see!)