Let me guess: you’ve probably tried already a million ways to hard boil the perfect, easy to peel egg only to be disappointed and frustrated, standing over the trash for what seems like hours trying to peel that accursed egg and ending up with a lumpy, ripped up mess instead. We’ve all been there. Here’s what you’ve probably tried in the past. You’ve tried adding the eggs to cold water, bringing them to a boil for a certain amount of time, and letting them sit covered. Or, you’ve tried adding baking soda to the water when you are boiling. You’ve used an ice bath to “shock” the eggs back into the shell. And maybe you’ve even tried this nifty as-seen-on-TV “Eggstractor” to peel your eggs. Old eggs, new eggs, brown eggs, white eggs… Nothing seems to work. Except THIS Perfect Hard Boiled Egg Recipe!!!
The SECRET to making PERFECT Easy Peel eggs!
The simple secret to making easy to peel eggs is adding a special ingredient to the water when you are boiling them. Are you ready? This is going to sound weird, but I promise it works… ADD OLIVE OIL TO THE WATER! Or canola oil, vegetable oil, or any other kind of oil. Just add a tablespoon or so to the water and you’ll get easy-to-peel eggs EVERY time!
Why does using oil to make easy peel eggs work?
Here’s the thing about eggs: their shells are porous. They have tiny holes about one-thousandth of an inch apart (it’s how oxygen gets in for the chick while it grows!). The porous nature of the eggshells is what causes this method to work: the oil seeps inside the shell right in-between the egg white and the shell/membrane, causing a slippery barrier that makes peeling the egg VERY easy.
How exactly to make easy to peel, perfect hard boiled eggs using oil:
Can I make these soft boiled? Sure! Just cook them for less time. For medium boiled, try 10 minutes, and for soft boiled, anywhere from 3-6 minutes, depending on how runny you want the yolk. Be extra gentle when peeling them. Can I dye these eggs? Good question. My initial thought was that the dye wouldn’t stick quite as well because of the oil, one reader commented below that she had success with the dye sticking after wiping them off with a paper towel! Hooray! Are there any other ways to make easy peel eggs? Boiling with oil is my favorite way to ensure easy peel eggs every time, but steaming them in a steamer basket over boiling water, rather than submerged, is my second favorite. Same time- 13 minutes once the water is boiling!) Should I use old or new eggs? Some people say that using old eggs instead of new eggs helps with them being easy to peel- I have not found that to be true, at least with this method. In fact, if your eggs are old, the yolk may have sunk to the bottom of the eggs, making them more difficult to use for deviled eggs and such. Old or new eggs work with this.
Try out these Hard Boiled Egg Recipes:
Greek Deviled Eggs Greek Yogurt Egg Salad with Dill Jalapeño Deviled eggs Mixed Greens Salad with Egg, Avocado, and Creamy Lemon Dill Dressing Salad Niçoise
Did you try this hard boiled egg hack? Comment and rate below and tell me how it went!
