The answer shocked me.
I always felt it was a big deal when my mom made those treats because it was usually a sign that something fun was going to happen – like a holiday. And, more importantly, she always let me get to scrape out the filling from the bowl.
As a child, I probably handled eggs with less skill than I cracked success with unscrambled breakfasts, but over time I figured out how to remove the whites from an eggshell with none of it tearing.
I have my go-to method for hard-boiling eggs, which I rely on for weekly meal prep, and I was wondering if I was leaving anything out, so I decided to reach out to the experts: egg farmers. I thought if anyone knew the secret to achieving them, it would be the people who specialize in eggs, and their response was more surprising than I expected.
The Panel of “Eggsperts”
- in Richmond, Virginia
- and Author of
- : Eggfluencer at
The Secret to Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs, as Revealed by the Experts
I’ve experimented with a wide range of egg peeling techniques, including shaking them in a glass and submerging them in cold water to stop the cooking process. One trick I use and find reliable is to cool hard-boiled eggs in an ice bath beforehand, and I can now add another trick to my routine.
Nicole, Jes, and Kara are the farmers behind Shine Farm in Richmond, Virginia, who provide me with eggs at the local farmers market. They shared a helpful tip: “When you purchase your eggs from your preferred farmers market, let them sit for a few days before boiling. This will make them easier to peel.”
Just down the road from Colonial Beach in Virginia, a farmer named Chris Newman from Sylvanaqua Farms recommends, “If you’re purchasing eggs straight from a farm, it’s a good idea to let them sit untouched for at least a week or two before boiling. You’ll find eggs that are too fresh, almost impossible to peel.”
It wasn’t until I settled in that I finally grasped the secret to peeling farm-fresh eggs. Turns out, they just required a little more patience.
This is because the air pocket in the eggshell, located between the shell membranes at the large end, swells up the longer the freshly laid egg sits. As the liquid inside the egg shrinks down and the air pocket expands, the shell becomes easier to crack away from. That’s why older eggs tend to peel more smoothly than younger ones, making them ideal for hard-boiling.
Store-bought eggs can be too fresh to peel easily, Sarah advises. It’s usually best to wait until they’re closer to their expiration date. “Use cold eggs directly from the refrigerator, and if you have your choice, go for eggs approaching their expiration date. Generally, the more aged an egg gets, the simpler it is to peel.”
For expertly cooking eggs, follow these versatile techniques, summarized below:
- Use a large enough container to see the eggs in a single layer.
- Immediately transfer the eggs from the boiling water to a bowl of ice to facilitate easier peeling.
- You start peeling the egg from its wide end since that’s where the air pocket is located
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