How To Peel Hard-Cooked Eggs Easily

How To Peel Hard-Cooked Eggs Easily

This is what I do:

I leave the hard-cooked eggs in the pan they were cooked in and add cold water.

I then crack the eggs under water (this seems to help loosen the membrane under the shell).

Start peeling at the larger end, (the flat side) where the air pocket is, and remove the shell under running water to make the shelling easier. You must get a hold of the membrane under the shell when you remove the shell.

Very fresh eggs are harder to peel. The fresher the eggs, the more the shell membranes cling tenaciously to the shells. 

Comments from readers:

I always wondered what caused the shell on some hard boiled eggs to stick to that membrane? Sometimes it was only two out of the same dozen. An ole cooks tale said that they were "old" eggs. Thanks for your answer, I will test it out on the next batch, seems more likely your right, because eggs don't stay in my house more than a couple of days! 

 

I would like to pass on another trick with hard boiled eggs, the automatic hard boiled peeler machine (maybe you have already done this?) I use the same pot I boil the eggs in, empty the hot water, add cold water, rinse well to cool down, drain, put the lid on the pot, and gently shake the pot back and forth for about 20 to 30 seconds (as you would for popcorn). If you get good at it, all the eggs are peeled!  I was a fireman for almost 30 years, of which most of those years I did spend cooking for a crew of a 10-man station, among all the "other duties" required of the job.

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