Hard Boiled Eggs

Before you start boiling up your eggs, check out the tips on storing and cooking eggs so you'll know your eggs are fresh and ready to go!

Do you regularly cook up a few hard-boiled eggs at a time? Have you gone to the refrigerator a day or so later and been confused as to which eggs are fresh and which are hard-boiled? Make sure you know your fresh eggs from your hard-boiled eggs! All you need to do is add a drop of food coloring to the water when you are boiling your eggs. That way, when you put them back in the refrigerator, you'll immediately know which ones are hard-boiled (the dyed ones) and which are fresh (the plain ones).

Do you always end up with cracked eggs when you are boiling them? Stop your boiled eggs from cracking when cooking and save yourself some energy at the same time. Put your fresh eggs into a pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Cover your eggs with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring the water to a gentle boil. As soon as the water is boiling rapidly, turn off the heat and allow the pot to stand, unopened, for 10 minutes before removing your eggs. This allows the eggs to finish cooking without cracking and breaking.

Have you ever opened a hard boiled egg only to have half of it stick to the shell? You can peel hard-boiled eggs perfectly and easily every time—all you need to do is add a pinch of salt to the boiling water while you're cooking the eggs. When the eggs have cooled, you will find that the shells come easily off every egg.

Do you get in a real mess when you are trying to peel hard-boiled eggs in a hurry? All you need to do is roll the hard-boiled egg on your counter while pressing down a bit. Feel the shell giving way beneath your hand, then pick up the egg and insert a teaspoon between the egg and its shell. Gently move the spoon around the egg. The shell should easily fall off.

Don't ever try to heat or boil eggs in the microwave—they explode! Microwaving eggs will leave you with a stinky mess.

Have you ever hard-boiled eggs only to find that, after peeling, the egg yolk is an unappetizing shade of green? This condition is harmless, but happens if you overcook the eggs. Adjust your cooking time (shorten it a bit) and make sure you run cold water over the eggs after the cooking time has expired. (The cold water helps to cool the eggs inside the shell so that they don't overcook and the yolks turn green.)

Finally, if you are confused as to whether you should put the eggs in the pan when the water is cold or when it is already boiling, put them in when the water is cold. This allows the eggs to slowly heat up and cook, as the temperature of the water itself increases, producing a more consistent and thorough cooking.