Terra Americana

Hard boiled eggs are easy to cook.  This fact has dodged me for an eternity.  Always in a rush mine generally came out cracked, burned, green and overall unattractive.  Very few were ever Easter worthy.  That is until I figured out the simple key to heavenly hard boiled eggs is a 12 step process.

1. Room temperature eggs are the most ideal for boiling. They are less likely to crack and will take less time to cook.  
2. Warm refrigerated eggs by gently holding them under flowing hot tap water or leave them on the kitchen counter for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Do not add salt to water.  The salt raises the boiling point of the water which leads to rubbery eggs.
4. A simple test in water will answer the freshness question for you. Place the egg in a bowl of water; if it lies on its side, it is very fresh. As it ages, the air pocket inside the egg grows, which buoys the egg up so it stands on one end. If the egg floats to the top, it should be thrown out.
5. In a fresh egg, the yolk will stand tall and the white will be thick and cloudy. In an older egg, the yolk looks flatter and breaks easily, and the white is thin and watery.
6. When making deviled eggs, place carton of eggs on its side for a day. The yolk will then center itself so you have it directly in the middle of the white.
   
7. The eggs must not be stacked but be in one layer only. Gently place the eggs in a single layer in a pan or pot with enough cold water to cover eggs completely by about an inch.
8. Too much water will take too long for things to get boiling, which can throw off the timing and give you overcooked eggs. Too little water causes parts of the eggs to be exposed and end up undercooked.
9. Let eggs cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then turn heat off and cover.
10. After 20 minutes remove lid and drain off water from the eggs.
11. A green layer will form around the yolk when they are overcooked. This layer is caused by a reaction between the iron in the yolk and the sulfur in the white.
12. A quick test to ensure that your eggs are hard boiled: When eggs have cooled, spin them on a hard surface.   Cooked eggs spin evenly, uncooked eggs will be wobbly.

What you've shared:

Hi Julie,
Just read you "recipe" about cooking eggs.
Even simpler: put the eggs in a well-closing pan. Add 3mm of cold water. Put on high fire until you see the vapor escaping the lid. Then turn the fire to the lowest degree and set the clock to what you want: 3min for soft to 6min for hard. NB! But don't lift the lid!!!
(Saves a lot of energy too!!)

Jan The Hague Area, Netherlands

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Photo Credit: Julie Cecchini