Why do hard boiled eggs sometimes peel funny?

***** charles said:

Hi all,

Why do some eggs after being hard boiled peel real eazy and
some other eggs peel off in small little clumps. What is the
correct proceedure for peeling eggs? If one uses the correct
proceedure, does that gaurantee an easy peeling egg?

I don't guarantee anything, but this is my method, and I have never
had a single problem peeling eggs.

1) Use eggs that are at least a week old. Fresh eggs don't peel well.

2) Set the eggs in a pan of cold water, so the water covers them.

3) Turn the burner on high and bring the water to a boil.

4) Cover the pot and *take the pot off the heat*.

5) Let the eggs sit for exactly twelve minutes.

6) Run under cold water until cool enough to handle.

7) Crack gently all around the shell and start peeling at the big end,
where the air bubble is -- if you get under the air bubble, sometimes
the whole peel will come off in one piece.

serene

You need to use OLD eggs.

I know it sounds silly. But if you want to peel them easily, get them a
week before you need them. Plan ahead for devliled. My trick: when I'm
hard boiling and all that's in my fridge is farm-fresh eggs, I go to
7-11. Thier eggs sit there a while.

In article <[email hidden]>,

serene said:

I don't guarantee anything, but this is my method, and I have never
had a single problem peeling eggs.

1) Use eggs that are at least a week old. Fresh eggs don't peel well.

I don't recall having a problem with fresh eggs. For me, the trick
is to run them under sudden cold water immediately after boiling them.

-A

serene said:

5) Let the eggs sit for exactly twelve minutes.

This will only work on eggs which are "large" or smaller. For extra
large and jumbo, the yolk will not be completely cooked.

Quoted message said:

6) Run under cold water until cool enough to handle.

Agreed. I usually go till egg is cold. Easy peel every time, old or
fresh.

nb

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 01:16:48 +0000 (UTC), [email hidden] (axlq)

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

serene said:

I don't guarantee anything, but this is my method, and I have never
had a single problem peeling eggs.

1) Use eggs that are at least a week old. Fresh eggs don't peel well.

I don't recall having a problem with fresh eggs. For me, the trick
is to run them under sudden cold water immediately after boiling them.

I suspect if you're not having trouble peeling your eggs, you may be
boiling them when they're a week or more old. I've never been able to
peel a fresh egg without breaking the white.

serene

notbob said:

serene said:

5) Let the eggs sit for exactly twelve minutes.

This will only work on eggs which are "large" or smaller. For extra
large and jumbo, the yolk will not be completely cooked.

*nod* I use medium (or sometimes, but rarely, large) eggs almost
exclusively.

serene

Jude said:

You need to use OLD eggs.

I know it sounds silly. But if you want to peel them easily, get them a
week before you need them. Plan ahead for devliled. My trick: when I'm
hard boiling and all that's in my fridge is farm-fresh eggs, I go to
7-11. Thier eggs sit there a while.

Also,, instead of "pecking" them around on the table or counter...
Have it in the palm of your hand, slightly break shell as it contacts
counter, then roll the egg forward along the counter... while it rolls
under the palm of your hand..
chuck (in SC)

serene said:

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 01:16:48 +0000 (UTC), [email hidden] (axlq)

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

serene said:

I don't guarantee anything, but this is my method, and I have never
had a single problem peeling eggs.

1) Use eggs that are at least a week old. Fresh eggs don't peel well.

I don't recall having a problem with fresh eggs. For me, the trick
is to run them under sudden cold water immediately after boiling them.

I suspect if you're not having trouble peeling your eggs, you may be
boiling them when they're a week or more old. I've never been able to
peel a fresh egg without breaking the white.

I think you're correct. The rule is, always use the oldest eggs for
boiled eggs, the freshest
(and largest) for lightly basted or over easy/medium. We use a lot of
eggs, mediums for scrambled/French toast because they're cheap, large
for baking, and jumbo for basted. The large eggs can go a month or
two before being depleted, so I use the old ones for hard boiled.

Quoted message said:

serene

--Bryan

Chuck wrote on 16 Jan 2006 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Jude said:

You need to use OLD eggs.

I know it sounds silly. But if you want to peel them easily, get them

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

week before you need them. Plan ahead for devliled. My trick: when I'm
hard boiling and all that's in my fridge is farm-fresh eggs, I go to
7-11. Thier eggs sit there a while.

Also,, instead of "pecking" them around on the table or counter...
Have it in the palm of your hand, slightly break shell as it contacts
counter, then roll the egg forward along the counter... while it rolls
under the palm of your hand..
chuck (in SC)

I have found that making my hard boiled eggs in a steamer helps too.
Google the thread using Hahabogus as the Author (I change my nick every
couple yrs). This was tested and verified by others and it did help.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

On Sun, 15 Jan 2006 16:06:30 -0800, serene <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

1) Use eggs that are at least a week old. Fresh eggs don't peel well.

That was gonna be my contribution. I once tried boiling eggs I'd
gathered 10 minutes earlier--the freshest you can get are the ones
you fight the hen for--and those REALLY didn't peel.
(of course, I was like 12yo then)

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

***** charles said:

Hi all,

Why do some eggs after being hard boiled peel real eazy and
some other eggs peel off in small little clumps. What is the
correct proceedure for peeling eggs? If one uses the correct
proceedure, does that gaurantee an easy peeling egg?

thanks,
charles.....

I have read that it helps to add a splash of vinegar to the boiling
water. But I haven't tried that method yet.

In article <[email hidden]>,

jake said:

I have read that it helps to add a splash of vinegar to the boiling
water. But I haven't tried that method yet.

Actually, that might work. The vinegar causes the egg white to
bind to itself and coagulate, possibly away from the shell membrane.

If you put a splash of vinegar in the water before making poached
eggs, you'll find that the egg white doesn't flow all over the place
but hangs together better.

-A

***** charles said:

Hi all,

Why do some eggs after being hard boiled peel real eazy and
some other eggs peel off in small little clumps. What is the
correct proceedure for peeling eggs? If one uses the correct
proceedure, does that gaurantee an easy peeling egg?

thanks,
charles.....

I used to work in a restaurant where we peeled many hard boiled eggs
each day.
We couldn't afford the time to keep them for a week first, so here's
the secret:
After they are done, remove from the hot water, then crack the shell
in several places by dropping them on the bench.

Place in very cold water for 10-15 mins. The water soaks through the
cracked shell and surrounds the membrane making even fresh eggs easy
to peel.

Quoted message said:

After they are done, remove from the hot water, then crack the shell
in several places by dropping them on the bench.

Place in very cold water for 10-15 mins. The water soaks through the
cracked shell and surrounds the membrane making even fresh eggs easy
to peel.

Great tip! I'm hoping the counter/floor will work as well as a bench.
😉

Honestly, though -- no more boiled eggs that look like they've been
through a wood chipper! Gotta love this group.

Karen MacInerney
Kitchen experimenter, family chauffeur, and culinary mystery author
www.karenmacinerney.com

serene said:

***** charles said:

Hi all,

Why do some eggs after being hard boiled peel real eazy and
some other eggs peel off in small little clumps. What is the
correct proceedure for peeling eggs? If one uses the correct
proceedure, does that gaurantee an easy peeling egg?

I don't guarantee anything, but this is my method, and I have never
had a single problem peeling eggs.

1) Use eggs that are at least a week old. Fresh eggs don't peel well.

what a load of bullfunky
it's all in how you break it up before the peeling starts

Quoted message said:

After they are done, remove from the hot water, then crack the shell
in several places by dropping them on the bench.
Place in very cold water for 10-15 mins. The water soaks through the
cracked shell and surrounds the membrane making even fresh eggs easy
to peel.

What if you just put them in the cold water? Will the shell crack
enough on its own due to thermal stress?

--Blair

***** charles said:

Hi all,

Why do some eggs after being hard boiled peel real eazy and
some other eggs peel off in small little clumps. What is the
correct proceedure for peeling eggs? If one uses the correct
proceedure, does that gaurantee an easy peeling egg?

thanks,
charles.....

You're going to get dozens of answers - all of them different.
So, here's mine.

Eggs come in 4 parts: The yolk, the white, the sac that holds them both,
and the shell.

When you boil an egg, the white congeals around the yolk and they expand
inside the "sac" (membrane might be a better word). The sac expands (as
does the shell) and moves away from the white and toward the shell (this
is the air that is trapped inside).

Once the eggs are "done", if the hot water is poured off and cold water is
added to the pot (set the pot in the sink), there is a brief window of
time that the "sac" will adhere to the shell.

As the cold water is going into the pot, crack All the eggs (gently tap
them against the inside of the sink- both end and all sides) and drop back
into the cold water. Work quickly. Once all eggs are well cracked, begin
to peel before the sac-lined shell contracts and adheres to the white.

The eggs will slip right out of their shells.

If you have one that "sticks" it is probably because it had a crack or
puncture in the shell and the air was pushed out as it cooked and the
insides expanded, but the "sac" and the shell didn't as much as it would
have.

Eggs will also peel totally cold better than they will partially
cooled. A warm inside and a much cooler outside creates a kind of "vacuum
seal" adhereing the sac to the shell and both to the white.

Elaine, too

"abRokeNegRo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

serene said:

***** charles said:

Hi all,

Why do some eggs after being hard boiled peel real eazy and
some other eggs peel off in small little clumps. What is the
correct proceedure for peeling eggs? If one uses the correct
proceedure, does that gaurantee an easy peeling egg?

I don't guarantee anything, but this is my method, and I have never
had a single problem peeling eggs.

1) Use eggs that are at least a week old. Fresh eggs don't peel well.

what a load of bullfunky
it's all in how you break it up before the peeling starts

Yes, but it helps if you add a good bit of salt to the water
when you boil them. It makes the shells harder. Or something.
BTW, best method for hard boiled eggs: put the eggs in
cold water, add salt, bring to a boil, cover, remove from
heat and let them sit for 20 minutes. They don't have that
weird greeny stuff on the yolk that way.

axlq said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jake said:

I have read that it helps to add a splash of vinegar to the boiling
water. But I haven't tried that method yet.

Actually, that might work. The vinegar causes the egg white to
bind to itself and coagulate, possibly away from the shell membrane.

Actually, that might solve your shell problem entirely if you use too
much vinegar<g>. It won't do anything to the whites of the eggs you
are hard boiling, but the shell will leach away and become thinner.
This might be a good thing if you can get under the membrane just
beneath the shell. Otherwise, you'll be adding calcium to your diet
since the thinned shell is almost impossible to entirely get rid of.

maxine in ri