How To: Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs (sans the green ring!)

Hard boiled eggs can be frustrating. Undercooked, dark yellow centers or overcooked, crumbly ones. Shells that insist on staying attached, making your egg look pockmarked and fragmented. And that infamous green ring. Many a hard-boiled egg is cut open to reveal a chalky, yellow center encompassed by an unattractive, greenish-gray ring. That ring is a sign that you have cooked your egg too long. And really, it's all about the timing. For perfectly cooked eggs, ten minutes is just right. Goodbye, green ring!

I also read online that the difficulty in removing the shells has to do with the freshness of the egg. Fresher eggs insist on holding onto their shells. So, if you want the shell to remove easily, simply let the egg sit in the fridge a week before cooking. (I haven't tested this theory myself!)

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Total Time: 20 minutes

Large Eggs

Ice water

Set your egg(s) in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover.

Starting with cold water helps to keep the shell from cracking prematurely.

Bring to a boil. When water starts to boil, begin timing. Simmer egg for 10 minutes.

Immediately remove from boiling water and rinse under cold water.

This step isn't necessary if you want to put the egg straight into the bowl of ice water, but it does diminish some of that initial heat and keeps your ice water from warming as quickly. 

Let sit in ice cold water for at least 5 - 10 more minutes, until egg is no longer warm. 

Dump hot water out of the saucepan in which you cooked the egg, put the cooled egg inside and cover with the lid. Shake the covered saucepan to crack the eggshell all over.

This is the fun part!

Then peel the eggshell off while holding the egg under cold, running water. 

The water gets between the egg and shell for easy peeling. 

Wah-lah. Perfection. 

Chop and sprinkle on your favorite salad or eat out of hand with salt and pepper. 

Eggs will keep in the fridge for 2 - 3 days.

Recipe from my mom.