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Hard bolied eggs

post #1 of 21
9/18/12 at 7:09am
Thread Starter 

Can you please clear the air about hard boiled eggs....

 

My method is to place the eggs in a pot just large enough to keep them together and in one layer. I cover them with an inch of water and add 2 tablespoons of salt and then place the pot on the burner and set to high and watch for signs of boiling. When a steady boil is reached, I set a timer for 9 minutes. when it goes off, I set the entire pot into the sink and run cold water to overflow the pot for several minutes until I can handle the eggs and I get perfectly cooked eggs every time - no green halo around the yolk and no cracked eggs.

 

My lady basically does the same thing but skips the salt and sets her timer for 10 minutes once she gets a rolling boil. She consistently has a green halo around the yolks and there are always cracked eggs.

 

Obviously her time is too long but what about the salt?

 

Have I been so lucky, as she suspects, to never have a cracked egg while using salt compared to her ALWAYS having cracked eggs without using salt?

 

Comments welcome as always....

Red.

When it's smoking, it's smoking!
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post #2 of 21
9/18/12 at 8:35am

Salt wil rise the boiling point of water about 2°C. That's all. Quality of the eggs are much more important.

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post #3 of 21
9/18/12 at 10:08am

Start with a single layer of eggs in COLD water ,Once water starts to boil set timer for 6 min only ,and after 6 min set pot in sink under running run COLD water ,shake entire pot while still warm to crack all eggs while still warm and peel  under running  COLD water

Never had a green halo or trouble peeling the eggs this way,

Every smoker quits smoking sooner or later!

Only the smart ones are doing it while they are still alive.

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post #4 of 21
9/18/12 at 12:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ordo View Post

Salt wil rise the boiling point of water about 2°C.

 

That's only if you add a kg of salt for each gallon of water though. 

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post #5 of 21
9/18/12 at 1:15pm

Bring to a boil, turn the heat off and cover. Set a timer for 20 minutes. After the timer goes off cool like normal.

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post #6 of 21
9/18/12 at 1:47pm

Place in a pressure cooker on top of a steamer basket.

 

Add a small amount of water and bring the vessel up to low pressure (7psi).

 

Lower heat and hold under pressure for 5-6 minutes.

 

Remove from heat and let cool naturally until the cooker can be opened.

 

Remove eggs and run under cool water and peel.

 

Easiest to peel eggs ever. 

----

 


"Plus, this method makes you look like a complete lunatic. If you care about that sort of thing".  - Dave Arnold

 

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post #7 of 21
9/18/12 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by French Fries View Post

 

That's only if you add a kg of salt for each gallon of water though. 

 

Hmmm... I don't think so. Anyway, my point is i do not think the salt makes any difference in hard boiled eggs cracking or not.

And about cooking times, its absolutely dependant on the size of the eggs, which can vary a lot.

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post #8 of 21
9/18/12 at 2:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ordo View Post

 

Hmmm... I don't think so. Anyway, my point is i do not think the salt makes any difference in hard boiled eggs cracking or not.

And my point was it makes even less difference than you thought.

 

 

Quote:
you would need to add 230 grams of table salt to a liter of water just to raise the boiling point by 2° C.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/f/Why-Do-You-Add-Salt-To-Boiling-Water.htm ... --> Tha'ts about 1kg salt per gallon of water. 

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post #9 of 21
9/18/12 at 3:02pm

@FF Thats less than 1000 grams sir.

 

The salt content will not affect the cracking. How do i know? Cause i use premium eggs and add no vinegar, no salt, no nothing and rarely have a cracking at all.

Using room temperature eggs, helps. Beggining with cold water, as already said, helps; thats a good advice. Low boiling, so that the eggs don't move so much, also. The quality of the eggs (farm eggs will have harder shells) mandatory. The size of the eggs, important for the cooking time.. Making a needle hole, as Pepin adviced some years ago, also may help.

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post #10 of 21
9/18/12 at 3:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ordo View Post

@FF Thats less than 1000 grams sir.

 

Ok so it's 870g, that's not really the point. The point is that your previous statement "Salt wil rise the boiling point of water about 2°C." was wrong. I'm sorry if I irked you when pointing that out. 


Edited by French Fries - 9/18/12 at 3:27pm
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post #11 of 21
9/18/12 at 3:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelGA View Post

Place in a pressure cooker on top of a steamer basket.

 

Add a small amount of water and bring the vessel up to low pressure (7psi).

 

Lower heat and hold under pressure for 5-6 minutes.

 

Remove from heat and let cool naturally until the cooker can be opened.

 

Remove eggs and run under cool water and peel.

 

Easiest to peel eggs ever. 


This is my new and best method ever.  I will not use another method if a PC is at hand.

 

I've been doing them this way for the last few months after reading about it on another forum.  My PC only has a high 15 psi setting but 5 min with a natural cool down off a hot burner which usually takes about 5 min works perfectly.  And agree the easiest peeling eggs ever.

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post #12 of 21
9/18/12 at 3:49pm

This method has never ever let me down. Place eggs in a pot or saucepan. Add a lot of salt. fill pot with water. Bring to a boil. As soon as water starts to boil. Set timer for 11 min. after 11 min. remove pan from heat. dump boiling water . Add ice and cold water. Peel as soon as you can handle eggs. No cracked eggs, no green lines, and the shell comes off practically in one piece. No waiting and wondering if you left the eggs unattended too long or too short.   Simple, practical .DONE.

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post #13 of 21
9/18/12 at 5:57pm

I have the eggs in a single layer in a sauce pot covered by one inch of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and take pot off the heat and cover for 10-12 min. After the time has passed I shock them in an ice bath. Never had a problem with the eggs being overcooked or the shells cracking.

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post #14 of 21
9/18/12 at 9:22pm

I"ve wondered about the salt, too.  My girlfriend makes salads nearly every night after we get off of work and 90% of the time she makes a 5 minute egg to go in the salad.  She ALWAYS salts the water.  She doesn't really know why, she just knows they turn out better.  I mean, egg shells are super porous, but i dont know if that is part of the answer.  Maybe McGee has the answer...

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post #15 of 21
9/18/12 at 11:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by redvan View Post

Can you please clear the air about hard boiled eggs....

 

Comments welcome as always....

Red.

Red I can clear a room after eating them.I am a bit "anal" about centering my yolk.

http://www.recipetips.com/cooking-videos/v-0-rt900068/how-to-center-the-yolks-in-hard-boiled-eggs.asp

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post #16 of 21
9/19/12 at 2:01am

In cooking terms there is really no such thing as a hard boiled egg. It is in many older good recipes referred to as hard cooked eggs . They were set to simmer not really boiled to hell like most places do.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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post #17 of 21
9/19/12 at 4:34am

As you can see, it's not possible to clear the air when it comes to eggs.  Everyone's method varies greatly and swears by it. 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by CritterTurner View Post

I have the eggs in a single layer in a sauce pot covered by one inch of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and take pot off the heat and cover for 10-12 min. After the time has passed I shock them in an ice bath. Never had a problem with the eggs being overcooked or the shells cracking.

 

This is what I do, only I run cold water over them, not ice water.  I like my hard boiled eggs warm when I eat them.  And I err towards the 10min mark because I like it just a bit soft in the yolk, not runny but soft.

In a nutshell
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post #18 of 21
9/19/12 at 1:01pm
Thread Starter 

Wow,

I agree Koukouvagia, I really opened up the hen house here!

 

Ok, so they're not called 'hard-boiled' but 'hard-cooked' instead....

 

Cracked or uncracked eggs has nothing to do with wether the water is salted or not but rather on freshness...

 

Salting the water simply raises the boiling temperature making it hotter....

 

It's impossible to have clear air when there are hard cooked egs around...

 

Timing is based on egg size...

 

They can be PC'ed with good results....

 

...and they should be peeled under cold running water.

 

 

Whew....

Learned alot here on this one and will just have to suck it up to the missus.

 

Thanks to all for your time,

Red.

When it's smoking, it's smoking!
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post #19 of 21
9/20/12 at 4:13am

Salting water only increases temp about 2 degrees, if that. I used to believe this myself until I tested the theory. I got 212 with plain water and 214 with salt water. Sugar on the other hand will raise it a lot more.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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post #20 of 21
9/20/12 at 6:59am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chefedb View Post

Salting water only increases temp about 2 degrees, if that. I used to believe this myself until I tested the theory. I got 212 with plain water and 214 with salt water. Sugar on the other hand will raise it a lot more.

Sugar...!

As cacioEpepe mentioned, egg shells are very porous and possibly some salt might penetrate. Now talking about sugar, would it make the eggs sweeter besides raising the water temperature?

 

And many responders recommend peeling them immediately after cooking. I prefer to wait and peel as needed, I feel they stay fresher longer but then again, I'm an at-home-cook and not in a retail environment like a deli or restaurant where the turnover would be far greater and time consuming to have to peel as needed.

 

One odd thing about peeling as needed, sometimes I can peel an apparently completely intact egg and have water pour out of it as I peel it - where is this coming from I wonder!

 

Other times I can't get the shell off without destroying the egg - what's up with that?

 

Red.

When it's smoking, it's smoking!
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post #21 of 21
9/20/12 at 12:18pm

The shell could have been slightly cracked water seeped in then the heat closed the crack. Or the air pocket inside the egg held moistue and more moisture cocdensated in shell.  Sugar should not make it sweeter nor should salt make it salty as the  heat should seal the egg.. Everyone has their own way of peeling, whatever works for you is good for you.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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