boiled eggs
A week or so ago I had to make hard boiled eggs. The market didn't have any local eggs, so i had to buy "mainland" eggs (I live in Honolulu). I boiled them over moderate to high heat, and then, since I was in a hurry, cooled them in tap water.
When it came time to peel them, the shells stuck to the egg white like nothing I have ever seen before. about half of the thickness of the egg white peeled off with the eggs, leaving just a thin coating of white over the yolk.
Did I do something wrong cooking them or cooling them, or is it likely they were just "old" eggs.
I ended up making egg salad rather than deviled eggs, fortunately I had bought a loaf of bread when i bought the eggs.
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KaimukiMan
Feb 17, 2010 10:06 PM
The mainland eggs are all labeled as being "mainland shell protected" or some such. something they do to treat the shells presumably to prevent evaporation and contamination to keep them fresh longer. No doubt that has some effect on the cooking properties.
I'm still gonna buy local eggs whenever I can.
›1 Reply-
re: KaimukiMan
goodhealthgourmet
Feb 17, 2010 10:20 PM
"shell-protected" just means the eggs have been coated with a thin layer of food-grade mineral oil to replace the egg's natural protective layer ("bloom") that wears away as the egg ages. it shouldn't affect peeling.
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KaimukiMan
Feb 17, 2010 01:42 PM
thank you all for the input.
i probably let them cool too long before cracking/peeling.
i thought id searched for older threads, but i guess typing
"boiled egg" didn't do it.›4 Replies-
re: KaimukiMan
goodhealthgourmet
Feb 17, 2010 02:01 PM
yeah, i discovered that "peel" is a better keyword for this search. besides, you should be hard-cooking instead of "boiling" your eggs anyway ;)
seriously though, super-fresh eggs are always darn near impossible to peel. i stock up in advance and wait until they're near (or even past) the date on the carton before hard-cooking. the shells practically slip off!
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re: goodhealthgourmet
Will Owen
Feb 17, 2010 03:34 PM
I was wondering why mainland eggs would be fresher... but then if I were shipping eggs to Hawaii I'd probably send the freshest I had, whereas the local eggs might well have been in cold storage a week or more.
Old eggs peel better because they've lost moisture from evaporation through the shell. Self-defrosting refrigerators also accelerate the process.
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re: Phurstluv
goodhealthgourmet
Feb 17, 2010 05:43 PM
yep, i've learned not to torture myself by using fresh eggs. now they have to be at least *at* or past the date before i'll hard-cook them. the trick is remembering to stock up far enough in advance so i have old ones on hand when i need them!
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rabaja
Feb 16, 2010 10:43 AM
Agree that fresher eggs are often hard to peel.
That said I am lucky to have a consistent supply of fresh eggs and a few things I do which seem to work:
Cook 9 min, this gives you a nice yolk, no green here for sure.
Drain and chill in cold running water, ice if I feel like taking the time.
Crack each egg all over against the side of my sink, returning to cold water until all are done.
Roll the cracked egg between your palms and, if you're lucky, you'll feel the shell come away from the egg. -the rolling here is key. Roll gently but with determination.
Rinse peeled eggs well and lay out to dry briefly.
Nothing worse than shells in your eggs, for me that = game over.
Hope this helps!›1 Reply -
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