Whenever we have to boil eggs that we’ll peel for deviled eggs, egg salad, or just to enjoy by themselves, we always wonder why those eggs won’t peel well. We’ve grown so tired of tiny flakes of egg shell coming off with chunks of egg with it.
I’ve been researching exactly how to boil perfect eggs for perfect peeling. My conclusions:
- Boil water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of salt.
- Add your eggs to the boiling water carefully (with a spoon).
- Boil for 13 minutes (you can turn down the heat if the boiling is too rambunctious)
- Remove each egg with slotted spoon and place immediately into a bowl of ice and water.
- Let the eggs cool in the ice bath for 5 minutes.
Peel! You won’t believe it! The eggs finally, finally, finally become easy to peel with the shells coming off smoothly, quickly, and often in large pieces fully detached from the egg.
Yeah! Yeah!
Now, the reasons:
- Salt (increases temperature of water, prevents cracking, helps egg solidify faster). You can also use baking soda, but I have not tried this.
- Vinegar (soften shells for easier peeling)
- Adding to boiling water makes for an easier peel (according to the Pioneer Woman!)
- The ice bath (stops the cooking)
I hope I’ve forever solved the problem of how to boil eggs for easy peeling.