By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor to Food Network.
Hard-boiled eggs are essential for making deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches, and they make a satisfying portable snack. But boiling eggs is the easy part. Peeling hard-boiled eggs can be frustrating, especially when it takes a long time, or you find yourself removing large chunks of cooked egg white as you go. Here’s how to perfectly peel hard-boiled eggs, and discover our top tips for easily peeling hard-boiled eggs.
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How to peel hard-boiled eggs step by step
Step 1: Plunge the hard-boiled eggs into an ice bath
Once your eggs have boiled to your desired doneness, use a slotted spoon or strainer to transfer the eggs to a prepared ice bath. Leave them submerged for about until cool enough to handle but still warm, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 2: Gently crack the egg
Gently tap the egg on the counter, creating a mosaic-like pattern all over the shell.
Step 3: Roll the egg
Carefully and gently roll the egg between your hands to help loosen the shell. Note that if you are peeling softer hard boiled eggs, you will want to skip this step as the eggs are more fragile and could tear.
Step 4: Start peeling from the big end
Start peeling at the larger end of the egg – there is an air pocket here which will make it easier to start the process. Be sure to gently lift and peel away the thin membrane under the shell that surrounds the egg white.
Step 5: Use cold water for extra help
If you still can’t remove the shell, hold the egg under cold running water while peeling or submerge it in a bowl of water to help loosen the shell.
How to easily peel hard-boiled eggs?
Start with slightly older eggs
To make easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs, use store-bought eggs, which are slightly older than farm-fresh eggs. Farm fresh eggs have a lower pH level which makes them harder to peel. The older the egg, the easier it is to peel (but you should always use eggs before their expiration date).
Add baking soda
Baking soda is said to raise the pH level of eggs and therefore make them easier to peel. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to a pot of eggs, as in our Perfect Boiled Eggs recipe.
Cook the eggs in boiling water
Eggs that are added to a pot of boiling water and cooked will be easier to peel (rather than starting them in cold water and then bringing them to a boil). Carefully drop the eggs into the boiling water in a single layer so they don’t risk bumping into each other and breaking the shells.
Shock them in an ice bath
Prepare a bowl of cold water with ice and transfer the hard-boiled eggs to the ice bath as soon as they are cooked. Leave until cool enough to handle but still warm, about 2-3 minutes.
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