How to Boil the Perfect Egg {Kitchen Basics}

No, I haven’t lost my mind. At least I don’t remember doing so. It’s just that I know too many people who don’t have a clue as to how to boil a perfect egg. Anybody can boil an egg, but far too often it comes out looking like it’s been engaged in major warfare. Pit marks. Cracks. Missing pieces. You know what I’m talking about.

And I think that’s a shame when it’s really easy to boil an egg so that it comes out all smooth and ready for the next egg beauty pageant — or for you to grate or mash or chop it to smithereens. But for just a few moments, it’s gloriously perfect.

You’ll find all sorts of tips and techniques floating around as how to achieve the desired degree of perfection. Some say salt and/or vinegar are the secret additions that make the difference. Too much salt and vinegar will give you perfectly pickled eggs — that taste perfectly horrible.

A little egg acupuncture perhaps? Go ahead if you prefer. But, honestly, that’s just a waste of your time and adds an unnecessary risk of fracture that ultimately leads to a real mess. Perfection requires a little patience and a little practice. A covered saucepan, water and a few old eggs are all it takes. Oh…and a heat source would be nice as well. It’s really quite simple. Honest. Don’t stress. Here’s what you do for hardboiled eggs:

First, DO NOT USE REALLY FRESH EGGS. Eggs that are several days old (at least 5 days from their packing date) will work much better than those you’ve just harvested from the coop. Trust me.
Secondly, put the eggs you want to hardboil into a saucepan that is large enough so that the eggs can be placed in a single layer.bo Make sure the pan is small enough, however, so that the eggs do not play bumper egg while cooking. Yes, I know that you may need a gazillion for Easter or that 50-year family reunion and that you just may not have a pan quite large enough for that. Well, you CAN multi-layer the eggs, but your success rate will diminish considerably. Forewarned.
Cover the eggs with enough cold water to cover by approximately 1 inch and set the pan over medium-high heat. Do not cover. Allow the eggs to come just to a slow boil but DO NOT boil. Eggs that cook too long suffer from some awful sort of psychosis called “Dark-Ring Syndrome.” It isn’t pretty.
Immediately place the lid on the saucepan and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the eggs to sit covered until cool. This will result in hardboiled eggs without any discoloration and that should peel quite well. Or, you can allow them to sit in the hot water until almost cool and then quick cool them by placing them in very cold water such as an ice bath until they are completely cooled (preferred).
To peel the eggs, gently bust them ON THE LARGE END FIRST. There is an air pocket on the large end that forms during the cooking process. Cracking here first will open up the shell and make it more likely to come off of the egg without damaging the white. (You can prick this end with a needle before cooking if you want, but I find that unnecessary.) Gently roll the egg against the palm of your hand or other surface and begin the slip off the peel under a gentle trickle of running cold water.