Val is no spring chicken when it comes to boiling eggs. We used to raise chickens, by cracky, before the neighbor dogs killed all 38 of them, one or two per day. I knew that those delicious free-range eggs were not good for boiling. Too fresh! I bought eggs at the store when I wanted to make deviled eggs.
I've also tried internet suggestions like adding some vinegar to the water when boiling the eggs. I take the eggs off the heat when they're done, and let them soak in nearly ice-cold well water from our tap. If I have good eggs, I can peel them in one or two pulls per egg. Maybe in large chunks of shell, or round and round in a long strip, like one of those weird apple-peeler turning machines.
It's great when my eggs cooperate in shedding their shells. The eggs I attempted to devil on Wednesday evening were truly devilish! The first 8 of the two dozen were fine. I knocked their ends on a paper plate on my inherited Mom's kitchen table, then rolled them under my palm, and the shells came off easily when I pulled on the end with the air bubble. Got ahold of that thin skin, and off with the shells. The other 16 eggs were not so cooperative. It took me an hour to peel two dozen eggs!
Both cartons of eggs came from Save A Lot, where I always buy my eggs. They were Grade A Large. Both from the same box, with the same USE BY date that was three weeks in the future. They looked unremarkable when I put them in my copper-bottomed pot and turned on the burner. I added a dash of vinegar to the water. There was enough water to cover the top of the eggs. Once they started boiling, I turned the heat down to maintain a rolling boil without great blobs of water jumping out of the pan. SAME AS I ALWAYS DO. After 9 minutes, I took them off, poured out the hot water, and ran cold water in the pot and let them sit in the sink. Twice I poured out that water and freshened it with more cold water. Then I set the eggs in the sink drainer to drip dry. When I returned from town, I put the eggs back in the cartons, and into FRIG II until the next day.
I have no idea how those first 8 eggs so randomly peeled perfectly! What are the odds of me grabbing the best 8 eggs out of 24? I treated the next 16 eggs exactly the same. Yet they didn't want to shed their shells!
These eggs clung to their shells like Val clings to her paying-bills-by-check-through-the-mail ways! Like the sides of those plastic produce bags cling to each other when you're trying to buy five limes. Like a flowery pair of panties clings to the inside of your jeans, only to fall out when you're in a circle doing a trite greeting activity at teacher inservice (not me, but a teaching buddy).
It's like this second group of eggs had no air bubble. It was impossible to get that thin skin pried up off the egg white. Only tiny, tiny crumbs of shell could be picked off. And sometimes, those crumbs brought a chunk of the egg white with them! Those eggs were more pockmarked than Edward James Olmos!
At least I had the 8 good eggs to fill the 16 sections of my deviled egg holder. I made a 4 more for pre-snacking by Hick and The Pony. Then I used 6 of the bad eggs in my 7 Layer Salad, and 6 in my potato salad.
At least the yolks were perfectly done...
One time ALL of my eggs peeled so poorly they looked like moon rocks. I ended up making the conventional deviled mixture with the yokes, slicing the whites into chunks, and mixing the whole thing together. Called it a deviled egg salad and served it with a spoon. Had no complaints.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't pass up deviled egg salad. On a spoon is safer than those slippery egg whites that try to throw themselves (deviled side down) onto my bosom! They're meant to be picked up! Not butchered with a fork like Hick eats them.
DeleteYou could try putting them back into cold water after you have cracked the shells and peeled off the first piece of shell. Maybe enough water will soak under the cracked shell to loosen it. I haven't done this myself as I don't care what my boiled eggs look like, they all get mashed with mayo for sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteOr I could be less careful when pouring out the warmed water, and let the eggs crack in the sink, then put them back in the pan with the new cold water...
DeleteMy almost fool proof method taken from the internet.
ReplyDeletePut eggs in pot, turn heat high, when it comes to a rolling boil, turn off heat and cover for 8 minutes. Then remove eggs and drop on bubble side so it stands on end and put into ice water for 2-3 minutes. Hot egg sucks cold water into shell. Shells peal like magic...occasionally not, I blame that on too fresh eggs which I learned from a Valedictorian a few years back.
I'd burn my fingers on the hot eggs while trying to find the bubble side! These bad eggs didn't have a bubble side. How does THAT work? Where did their bubble go?
DeleteI WILL try putting them back in cold water after cracking. Can't hurt.
My resident professional (over 70 years, she claims) cook says those egg handlers can put whatever they want on the carton and her guess is those 8 perfectly peeled eggs were older than the other 16. And the older they are, the better they hard-boil and less likely they are to cling to their shells. BTW, she had a similar experience this year for the first time.
ReplyDeleteI read about your resident EGGspert's difficulties. I knew about the old eggs being better peelers, but I had no idea the egg handlers had such power over what eggs go in the carton.
DeleteThose 8 eggs definitely peeled like old eggs. I don't mind. I'll use eggs a month or two past their BEST BY date if I have them in FRIG II. As long as they don't stink, they're fine!
If they float they are no bueno.
DeleteI have boiled floaters before, and they were fine. Peeled easily! None of the 24 eggs this time floated. I noticed, because there are usually at least 3-4 floaters when I boil that many eggs.
DeleteHave you seen those gadgets advertising perfectly peeled eggs? It is simply a container that closes tight, you add some water and the egg and then shake it. I tried it with a pint mason jar. You didn't think I wold actually buy one, did you. Worked as well as any other method. Some days you win, others you lose.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing one years ago that required water to be added. I WILL try putting them back in water after giving them a couple cracks.
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