Hard boiling fresh eggs

[Stars101]

I have never had good luck using fresh eggs for deviled eggs. The carton you buy in the store just makes a mess by sticking/breaking (even though I don't consider them particularly fresh!).

I found a fool proof recipe on a backyard chicken forum:

USE ROOM TEMPERATURE EGGS!!

Boil a large pot of salted water

Gently lower eggs into water - boil for exactly 17 min.

Remove from water and put in ice water bath for 17 min.

The eggs just slip right out of the shells. It works for farm fresh eggs or regular grocery store ones.

I'd never heard of this way to prepare them and just thought I'd share.

[hobbssb]

One additional trick, not yet mentioned: To prevent eggs from cracking as they cook, take a corsage pin and pierce the LARGE end of the shell. Push the pin just so it goes thru the shell, not down into the egg. Then cook, using your favorite method.
The piercing allows tiny bubbles of air to escape as the egg cooks, letting off pressure so the shell doesn't crack. You'll see these little bubbles emerging as soon as the egg begins to heat up inside.

[Leo_Benson]

Ron3rd wrote:

Leo Benson wrote:

Ron3rd wrote:
The method that has worked the best for me, even with fresh eggs, is very similar to the OP's, but this method boils for 13 minutes. The two things this method calls for, and something I've not done in the past, is to add the eggs to boiling water, and then peel them right away after they've been in the ice bath.

I got this method off youtube:

•BRING POT OF WATER TO BOIL FIRST
•TAKE EGGS DIRECTLY FROM REFRIGERATOR
•PLACE EGGS IN POT WITH LARGE SPOON/LADLE
•BOIL FOR 13 MINUTES EXACTLY
•REMOVE FROM HEAT AND RUN COLD WATER OVER EGGS FOR ABOUT A MINUTE.
•NEXT COOL DOWN EGGS WITH ICE AND LET COOL FOR 15 MINUTES
•PEEL EGGS IMMEDIATELY

This is our method. And we've got 20 hens in the back yard. Even those hours-old eggs, which can tear up so badly, peel clean as can be. The ice bath is key. I leave them in the ice until they are completely cold. The shift from boiling to ice is what frees up the shell. And the 13 or 14 min boil is not long enough to cause that green ring. Which by the way might not look appealing but is nothing to worry about.
Also, adding salt or baking soda or any other additive to the boiling water has no effect. If your eggs are peeling cleanly, they would have anyway.

We advocate the above method in our newsletter to our egg donors. Daughter founded an egg charity for her a Girl Scout Gold award and in two years has collected excess eggs from other backyard flock owners like us, and provided over 1,200 dozen eggs to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Girl Scouts rock! And so do back yard flock owners- the most generous people I know!

Just used this method again last night on fresh eggs just bought and it worked again like a champ. I'm sticking with this method from now on!

Glad it worked out well for you. I made many dozens of deviled eggs every week for kids sporting events and it never failed.

[Ron3rd]

Leo Benson wrote:

Ron3rd wrote:
The method that has worked the best for me, even with fresh eggs, is very similar to the OP's, but this method boils for 13 minutes. The two things this method calls for, and something I've not done in the past, is to add the eggs to boiling water, and then peel them right away after they've been in the ice bath.

I got this method off youtube:

•BRING POT OF WATER TO BOIL FIRST
•TAKE EGGS DIRECTLY FROM REFRIGERATOR
•PLACE EGGS IN POT WITH LARGE SPOON/LADLE
•BOIL FOR 13 MINUTES EXACTLY
•REMOVE FROM HEAT AND RUN COLD WATER OVER EGGS FOR ABOUT A MINUTE.
•NEXT COOL DOWN EGGS WITH ICE AND LET COOL FOR 15 MINUTES
•PEEL EGGS IMMEDIATELY

This is our method. And we've got 20 hens in the back yard. Even those hours-old eggs, which can tear up so badly, peel clean as can be. The ice bath is key. I leave them in the ice until they are completely cold. The shift from boiling to ice is what frees up the shell. And the 13 or 14 min boil is not long enough to cause that green ring. Which by the way might not look appealing but is nothing to worry about.
Also, adding salt or baking soda or any other additive to the boiling water has no effect. If your eggs are peeling cleanly, they would have anyway.

We advocate the above method in our newsletter to our egg donors. Daughter founded an egg charity for her a Girl Scout Gold award and in two years has collected excess eggs from other backyard flock owners like us, and provided over 1,200 dozen eggs to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Girl Scouts rock! And so do back yard flock owners- the most generous people I know!

Just used this method again last night on fresh eggs just bought and it worked again like a champ. I'm sticking with this method from now on!

[Ron3rd]

BigBlockTank wrote:
Nobody bakes eggs in the shell, in the oven? They come out great....

I've even put a couple dozen eggs on the smoker when I'm doing a brisket or a load of baby back ribs. I let them smoke for about an hour and a half. Nice, little smoke flavor, really gives a deviled egg a nice twist.

Nice idea, never tried that or even heard of it!

[BigBlockTank]

Nobody bakes eggs in the shell, in the oven? They come out great....

I've even put a couple dozen eggs on the smoker when I'm doing a brisket or a load of baby back ribs. I let them smoke for about an hour and a half. Nice, little smoke flavor, really gives a deviled egg a nice twist.

[SWMO]

The ice bath is key.

Couldn't agree more, let them go until cool. As far a 12 or 13 goes, I don't think it is real important unless you want an egg exact.

[Ron3rd]

craftyfox wrote:
I have found that adding a teaspoon or more of baking soda to the water you boil eggs in works quite well..the shells come off very easily, even eggs right from the store.

There is actually a youtube video that uses this method. The baking soda raises the pH and supposedly helps. I've used that method and it works OK but the method I posted above is better IMO.

[Leo_Benson]

Ron3rd wrote:
The method that has worked the best for me, even with fresh eggs, is very similar to the OP's, but this method boils for 13 minutes. The two things this method calls for, and something I've not done in the past, is to add the eggs to boiling water, and then peel them right away after they've been in the ice bath.

I got this method off youtube:

•BRING POT OF WATER TO BOIL FIRST
•TAKE EGGS DIRECTLY FROM REFRIGERATOR
•PLACE EGGS IN POT WITH LARGE SPOON/LADLE
•BOIL FOR 13 MINUTES EXACTLY
•REMOVE FROM HEAT AND RUN COLD WATER OVER EGGS FOR ABOUT A MINUTE.
•NEXT COOL DOWN EGGS WITH ICE AND LET COOL FOR 15 MINUTES
•PEEL EGGS IMMEDIATELY

This is our method. And we've got 20 hens in the back yard. Even those hours-old eggs, which can tear up so badly, peel clean as can be. The ice bath is key. I leave them in the ice until they are completely cold. The shift from boiling to ice is what frees up the shell. And the 13 or 14 min boil is not long enough to cause that green ring. Which by the way might not look appealing but is nothing to worry about.
Also, adding salt or baking soda or any other additive to the boiling water has no effect. If your eggs are peeling cleanly, they would have anyway.

We advocate the above method in our newsletter to our egg donors. Daughter founded an egg charity for her a Girl Scout Gold award and in two years has collected excess eggs from other backyard flock owners like us, and provided over 1,200 dozen eggs to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Girl Scouts rock! And so do back yard flock owners- the most generous people I know!

[Ron3rd]

The method that has worked the best for me, even with fresh eggs, is very similar to the OP's, but this method boils for 13 minutes. The two things this method calls for, and something I've not done in the past, is to add the eggs to boiling water, and then peel them right away after they've been in the ice bath.

I got this method off youtube:

•BRING POT OF WATER TO BOIL FIRST
•TAKE EGGS DIRECTLY FROM REFRIGERATOR
•PLACE EGGS IN POT WITH LARGE SPOON/LADLE
•BOIL FOR 13 MINUTES EXACTLY
•REMOVE FROM HEAT AND RUN COLD WATER OVER EGGS FOR ABOUT A MINUTE.
•NEXT COOL DOWN EGGS WITH ICE AND LET COOL FOR 15 MINUTES
•PEEL EGGS IMMEDIATELY

[DutchmenSport]

denoel wrote:
Dutchman Sport: How long do you steam the eggs?

about 4 - 4 1/2 minutes after the water starts boiling. (and like the above poster said also .... the yokes come out nice and yellow ... no green).

[swtgran]

I too, wondered if some of these processes cooked eggs for too long. I was wondering if the yolks, using some of these methods, were on the greenish, gray side.

With the pressure cooker, they turn out a nice bright yellow. terry r.

[craftyfox]

I have found that adding a teaspoon or more of baking soda to the water you boil eggs in works quite well..the shells come off very easily, even eggs right from the store.

[Mocoondo]

I think some of you are cooking your eggs way too long.

I am by no means an expert chef, but I have taken culinary courses at Le Cordon Bleu and this is how professional chefs are taught to boil eggs.

Place eggs in the bottom of a sauce pan.

Add enough water to just cover the eggs.

Cover the sauce pan with a lid.

Heat on high until water is boiling.

Immediately shut the heat off once the water is boiling.

With the lid on and the heat off, allow the eggs to sit for THIRTEEN MINUTES.

Drain water and allow eggs to cool.

The eggs will be perfectly cooked every time. Perfect texture throughout and no grey margin around the yokes. Eggs will peel flawlessly. Give it a try.

[SWMO]

I tried all kinds of recipes for years, and this one has worked flawlessly for me.
Bring water to a boil,
boil for 12 minutes
Immediately put in ice water, large pot and enough ice to last, and leave them for 12 minutes.
This has worked flawlessly for fresh store bought eggs. Never tried it with real fresh eggs. Store bought eggs have the laying date on the end of the container and they obviously don't reach the store real fast.