Saturday, March 9, 2013

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

The Easter holiday is just around the corner, and so a couple of people have asked me how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg.

Below is my recipe, which has evolved through the years. Legend has it that adding some salt to the water makes the eggs easier to peel, and might also help prevent cracking during cooking. I haven't been able to back up those claims with scientific evidence, but it seems to work pretty well.

RECIPE:

6 eggs
Water
1 teaspoon salt

Place your eggs in a heavy saucepan and add enough cold water to completely cover the eggs by an inch or two. Add the salt to the water.

Slowly bring the water and eggs to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a full, rolling boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 18 to 22 minutes, depending on the size of the eggs. (20 to 21 minutes is usually perfect for standard large eggs.)

Drain, and then rinse the eggs in cold water to stop the cooking process.

-- 6 servings

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tip Mary! I've never tried hard boiling eggs like this before - removing the pot from the heat and letting them sit in the hot water. I usually just let them simmer. And I love the face you've made on the plate!

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  2. I've tried this but I think I didn't let them sit long enough. I got soft boiled eggs. Thanks for sharing this with us on foodie friday. I will try 20 minutes this time.

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    Replies
    1. Diane -
      The eggs in the photo are large eggs that I let sit in the hot water for 20 minutes. I'm thinking that a lot might also depend on just how hot you get the water before removing the pan from the heat. Make sure the water comes to a full, rolling boil. If they're still undercooked, add another 5 minutes - and let me know what ultimately works for you (so I can update the recipe as needed).
      - Mary

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