Recipe for Perfectly Hard-Boiled Eggs

Post by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

I think hard-boiling eggs is one of those things that is considered so basic you almost feel silly asking how to do it. Bettijo admitted to me a while ago that she didn’t really know how to hard-boil eggs, and we figured there may be some other Supermoms out there also wondering. So here is our no-judging primer on how to get the perfect hard-boiled eggs, just in time for Easter.

This is the method that my grandma and great-grandma used, and my mom taught it to me. Put eggs in a single layer on the bottom of pan and fill with enough water to cover about an inch over eggs.

Place over high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the water begins boiling, turn off heat and remove pan. Cover immediately and let set for 17 minutes — be sure to set a timer. As soon as time is up, rinse eggs in cold water bath to stop the cooking process.

A few good hard-boiling egg tips:

• 17 minutes has been my family’s magic number, but if you like a softer yolk you can cut up to five minutes off this time.
• When it comes to easily peeling hard-boiled eggs, older eggs are actually better. Bettijo’s family has chickens and they usually leave their fresh eggs to age at least a week before hard boiling. Most store-bought eggs are going to be aged enough already.
• It is easiest to peel eggs if you gently roll them to crack all over, then run under some water to help you get underneath the membrane and peel the shell off cleanly.
• For egg salad sandwiches, use a pastry blender to quickly cut the peeled eggs up into small pieces without mashing them too much.

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com