From the Egg Experts: How to hard cook an egg.
And because I’m me – check out the Mairlynized version in italics .
Egg Farmers of Ontario shares the recipe for the perfect
hard-cooked (hard-boiled) egg
There is more than one way to hard-cook (hard-boil) an egg. The conventional method is to cook eggs in boiling water. However, boiling and over-cooking the eggs may result in a grey discolouration around the yolks and rubbery-textured egg whites. These changes will not affect taste or nutrient value but can reduce presentation points when the eggs are used to make salads, devilled eggs or sandwich fillings.
Here’s how easy it is to hard-cook eggs:
- Choose eggs that have been in your refrigerator for about a week. (I always have a dozen eggs in my fridge that are just for hard cooking and I like to use the dozen that have been in my fridge 2-3 weeks) They will be easier to peel than fresh eggs but will still have the same great taste and nutrient value.
- Place cold eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Fill the saucepan so the eggs are covered with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of cold water.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat (with lid on or off, as you wish). (Lid off for me, that way you can see when they are boiling, I cover them after I remove them from the heat) When the water reaches a boil, immediately cover the saucepan and remove it from the heat to stop the water from boiling.
- Let the eggs stand in the water, covered, for 18 to 23 minutes (the eggs cook while standing in the boiled water). A large egg will take 18 to 20 minutes. Be sure to set a timer. (For whatever reason my hard cooked eggs work at 15-18 minutes, could be my definition of what is boiling)
- When the time is up, immediately drain off the water and run cold water over the eggs until they are cool to the touch. (When I am in a hurry I even place a cold pack in the water to cool the eggs down even faster)
Tips for peeling and storing hard-cooked eggs:
- To easily peel a hard-cooked egg, first crack the shell all over by gently tapping it on a hard surface. Roll the egg between your hands to loosen the shell. Start peeling at the large end of the egg. To help remove the shell, you can also hold the egg under cold running water or dip it in a bowl of water while peeling. ( I tap the bottom of the egg where the air sac is and voila the shell comes off really easily)
- To help distinguish between eggs that have been cooked in their shell and raw eggs, spin the eggs on a flat surface. A hard-cooked egg will spin smoothly and rapidly while a raw egg will wobble because of its liquid centre.
- Hard-cooked eggs can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. Try cooking a dozen eggs at the start of the week and enjoy them for fast, delicious, nutritious meals or snacks. Use them for salads, sandwich fillings, and devilled or pickled eggs.
For more tips, techniques and recipe ideas visit www.eggfarmersofontario.ca.
Hi Marilyn.
My mom showed me how to hard cook eggs this way many years ago and they always work out perfectly.
A trick I use for making egg salad in large batches is to rub the hard boiled egg over a box grater.
It is very fast and a nice texture.
That is a brilliant idea!
Thanks for the tip!
Peace, love and fibre,
Mairlyn
Hi Mairlyn
I have not had hard (cooked) eggs in a dogs age, and had a real craving for them today. But I guess the reason I have not had them in so long is I don’t know how to cook them properly and then you popped into my head. I saw you do it on Breakfast Television.
So I googled “how to hard boil eggs by Marilyn Smith” and voila…you were at the top of the list. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
They turned out perfect!
Well that made my day!
Thanks for letting me know – so glad I could help via the internet!
Peace, love and fibre,
Mairlyn
Hi Mairlyn,
This is the perfect step by step instruction for perfect hard cooked eggs…it has worked for me every time, and thanks for that. Now, I need the same step by step for soft cooked (boiled) eggs. I’m assuming the same steps, but how long should they sit in the hot water? My toast soldiers are waiting to take the plunge 🙂
Brilliant question: Sam method but for 3-4 minutes in the water.
Peace, love and fibre,
Mairlyn