Watching Sara Moulton on "Cooking Live" she had a caller ask why his boiled eggs would not peel easily. She answered that the eggs were too fresh. Does everyone agree? Are there other reasons for this problem; as, I have run into the same problem occasionally and can't determine the reason. nullnullSara Moulton

I have also had the problem occasionally. I have found that peeling them immediately under cold running water works best. But, I have no way of knowing about the freshness of the eggs.

I have heard this same thing from several different sources.


What helps when I have a problem is to crack the boiled eggs and then let soak in salt water the water then works its way under the membrane by osmosis.

[ 02-09-2001: Message edited by: dlachez ]

[Mezzaluna]

I don't know the official answer, but what works for me is to put the pot with the eggs (just taken off the stove) and run cold water into the pot until the water stays cold. I let them sit for a while- if I'm in a hurry, I throw some ice in the pot. It may be my imagination, but the shock from hot to cold seems to separate the egg and the shell a bit. Condensation? Shrinkage? I dont' know, but it works for me. Sometimes they need to be peeled under cold water (large end first) but usually not.

[cape chef]

Mezzaluna,Crudeau

Your exactly right.
When you hard cook an egg the membrane adheirs to the albumine...by shocking in cold water you deflate or "shrivel" the membran. so a portion of steam pushes the membrane back against the wall of the shell, thus making peeling a breeze. I am not familar with the freshness of the egg discussed earlier, But as far as I am concerned the fresher the better
cc

[mudbug]

I agree with Cape Chef.

Also, I don't think there's any way to be sure why any one person is having the problem unless they document exactly how they cooked the egg - fresh or not. There are so many variables (101 ways to hard boil an egg).

Try the following method and see if it works for you:

Place desired number of eggs in medium sauce pan. Fill with cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for 10 minutes (no need to simmer).

While letting them sit in the covered pan, get a bowl of ice water ready. I break up a tray of cubes and put them in a large bowl, then fill with water. After the 10 minutes, plunge the eggs in this water. Let them cool in this ice water for 5 minutes. The temperature change will "shock" the membrane away from the egg. Tap lightly on all sides, rock gently back and fourth between your palm and table top, peel. It's VERY easy.

We just made these tonight. Works every time!

This is the method from Cook's Illustrated. It was the first article I ever read by them and it was three pages long. In the end, this is what they found worked best universally.


[ 02-10-2001: Message edited by: cchiu ]

[momoreg]

If you have cooled your eggs, and the shells don't come off, you can salvage them by cracking the shells, and throwing them back in the water for 10 minutes or so. The water gets between the shell and the egg, and it separates much better.

[SeattleDeb]

How to Tell if Eggs are Fresh

Here's How:
1. Fill a deep bowl or pan with enough cold tap water to cover an egg.
2. Place the egg in the water.
3. If the egg lies on its side on the bottom, the air cell within is small and it's very fresh.
4. If the egg stands up and bobs on the bottom, the air cell is larger and it isn't quite as fresh.
5. If the egg floats on the surface, it it should be discarded.

[judy]

I haven't tried the 'shock' treatment but I do find that rolling them gently while warm after boiling and peeling from the blunt end where the little'air bubble is inside works best for me and yes the age of the egg in a definate factor, too fresh and they stick.