One of the most common questions I see about eggs are How to make a hard boiled egg? and How can you tell if an egg is good? Today I’ll help you out with that.
The Egg.
The egg is a gem in a fragile shell.
Eggs are not only a dish or meal in themselves, but have many other purposes in cooking as well.
Here are a few tidbits about eggs:
They can be used for binding things together. Holding the meat together in a meatloaf or meatballs, or when making breading stick to a pork chop.
They can be used for moisture in a recipe.
They can be used as a coating, such as for bread. It makes breads shiny and pretty.
They can also be a leavening. (Leavening is the creation of “air” or “lightness” in a food. Yeast, baking soda, baking powder, even salt, can all be leavening agents.)
Eggs contain proteins, and many vitamins and minerals, including the elusive Vitamin D.
Eggs are also very particular. When you have an egg dish, it is very important to keep the hot dish hot, or the cold dish cold. Eggs are perfect growing medium for bacteria, including salmonella…Why do you think so many vaccines are grown in eggs?
Eggs last a long time, but how can you tell if an egg is good or bad?
Here is a trick from someone that used to keep chickens (Oh how I miss my girls).
The Egg Test
Place an egg in a glass or jar of water.
If the egg lays in the bottom: It is good.
If the egg goes to the bottom, but stands up on end: It is still good, but use it soon.
If the egg floats: THROW IT AWAY!
How do you make hard-boiled eggs?
Well, first of all, you don’t actually boil eggs. Did you know that? The correct term would be a “hard-cooked egg.”
There are generally two ways of making hard-cooked eggs. The hot water method is fine, but it requires the extra step of pre-heating your eggs, so they don’t burst when you put them in the hot pot. I’m all about reducing any steps I can in the kitchen, so I am going to show you what is called the “Cold Water Method.”
Place your eggs in a saucepan.
Cover them with enough cold water, to go 1/2 – 1 inch over the eggs.
Turn the stove onto high, and heat the water until it just starts boiling.
Throw a lid on, and remove the pan from the heat.
Set your timer to 22 minutes, and leave the eggs alone.
When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the hot water…
…and place them in very cold water, even ice water if you like.
Let them sit until the eggs are completely cold.
Doing this serves two purposes. First, the cold water quickly cools the eggs, so they don’t overcook. Second, quickly chilling the eggs causes the eggs to contract inside the shell. This lets the egg pull away from the shell just slightly, making in a little easier to peel the eggs. This is very important when you are dealing with fresh eggs. If you get eggs directly from a farm, or from your own chickens, it is nearly impossible to get shells off eggs.
Now when your eggs are cool, take a look. You notice that one end is wider than the other. The wide end is where the air sack is. Because of the air sack, there is a little space. I start peeling the egg here, because that space makes it easier to get the peeling started without tearing the egg.
Gently crack your egg on the end.
Now roll the egg on the counter, rocking it from side to side, with a little pressure. This will cause the egg shell to crack all the way around. Don’t use too much pressure, or you will break the egg and not just the shell.
Now starting at the end with the air pocket, begin peeling off the shell. If you have any trouble, sometimes running the egg under water helps it along.
Ta Da! A perfectly cooked and peeled “Hard-Cooked Egg.”
How to Make a “Hard-Boiled” Egg
Ingredients
- eggs
- water
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, place enough cold water to cover your eggs by about an inch.
- Turn the stove on high, and heat the water until it just starts boiling.
- Throw a lid on and remove the pan from the heat.
- Set your timer to 22 minutes and leave the eggs alone.
- When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the hot water and place them in very cold water, even ice water if you like.
- Let them sit until the eggs are completely cold.
- Doing this serves two purposes. First, the cold water quickly cools the eggs, so they don’t overcook. Second, quickly chilling the eggs causes the eggs to contract inside the shell. This lets the egg pull away from the shell just slightly, making it a little easier to peel the eggs. This is very important when you are dealing with fresh eggs. If you get eggs directly from a farm, or from your own chickens, it is nearly impossible to get shells off eggs.
- Now when your eggs are cool, take a look. You'll notice that one end is wider than the other. The wide end is where the air sack is. Because of the air sack, there is a little space. I start peeling the egg here, because that space makes it easier to get the peeling started without tearing the egg.
- Gently crack your egg on the end. Now roll the egg on the counter, rocking it from side to side, with a little pressure. This will cause the egg shell to crack all the way around. Don’t use too much pressure or you will break the egg and not just the shell. Now starting at the end with the air pocket, begin peeling off the shell. If you have any trouble, sometimes running the egg under water helps it along.
- Ta Da! Perfectly cooked and peeled "Hard-Cooked Eggs."
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
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