I've been using Alton Brown's variation of this: Place the eggs in an electric hot water heater (or whatever they're called) that makes a noise and shuts itself off when the water's boiled. This way you just listen for the bell and start the 10 minute counter.

Reply

hmm, remove from heat twice??

Reply

Here's how I do it. This comes from the Joy of Cooking. I've yet to encounter a foul green ring with this method:



1. Bring 2 to 3 quarts of water to a boil.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time.

3. Return to the boil.

4. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 14 minutes.

5. Remove eggs from hot water and shock in ice water to stop cooking.

6. Peel and eat however you like.

Reply

What I want to know is whether there's any good way of salting the egg before boiling. If you stick the egg in brine long enough, will the egg pick up salt? (By osmosis, I know water may leach out, but if the brine is not too salty, that shouldn't be a problem.) The only thing even close to what I am thinking of are the very salty cured eggs that can be bought at Chinese markets. There's got to be a way of salting moderately.



If I could make perfect hard boiled eggs that are perfectly salted right out of the shell, that would be awesome.

Reply

I prefer my yolks on the brighter side, and the less fully cooked the brighter they are. This recipe works wonders, catching the yolk just after it has gone from runny to solid but before it overcooks (I refer to this as "medium rare hard-boiled eggs"), and it's trivial:



- Bring water to a full boil, enough to cover eggs and then some. Put salt in it (the salt solidifies the egg white quickly to seal the egg in case one cracks).

- Once it's boiling, place eggs in the water carefully (I use a spoon, which works for 2-3 eggs; for larger amounts, I use a wire basket).

- Boil at the full temperature for exactly nine minutes.

- Remove from heat and quickly plunge into cold water; add more cold water if necessary, as the eggs will quickly warm the water in the cooling process.



This works perfectly for extra-large eggs. For other sizes, reduce the cooking time slightly. This also assumes the eggs are fridge-cold, as opposed to room-temperature.

Reply

What you want Berkana is Itlog na Maalat, a Filipino salted egg.



http://www.angelfire.com/on4/zambalesforum/salted_egg.htm



It will take several weeks for the salt to penetrate the shell but it should give you what your looking for.

Reply

Ok, the important question, what is the starting temp of the eggs? Do eggs right from the fridge work? Who keeps their eggs not in the fridge?

Reply

#7, I've used this method for years and it works fine with fridged eggs.



I was actually one of the few people in the house of 20 that I used to live in, who actually kept eggs in the fridge. Apparently it's the 'cool' thing to do if you're the 'crunchy granola' type, or the 'I like to gamble with the 1 in 20,000 eggs with salmonella' type. Or whatever. :)

Reply

This method is also the method recommended by Cook's Illustrated and a few other sources.



The problem with boiling the water first is that it's a pain in the ass to put the eggs in. It's much easier to put them in cold water and then boil.

Reply

My grandma taught me this, which seems to be similar, but identical, to other methods above:



Put eggs in enough cold water to cover.



Bring to a full boil over high heat.



Right when it reaches a full boil, cover and turn heat off.



Set a timer for 11 minutes.



After 11 minutes, immediately remove from heat and run under cold water.

Reply

Ten minutes is never enough time for my eggs- maybe because I always use 'large' eggs. 13 minutes is perfect-no runny stuff inside, and nice and tender.
I put them in the pot with (salted)cold water and bring them up to a boil with the water, so the egg doesn't burst.

Reply

Hello. I can appreciate these great ways to boil an egg, they are very good!! I usually use my method tho because it's faster and less mess. Believe it or not, in the microwave!

I cook only three at a time.

Take a pin a poke a small hole in the larger end of the eggs to to depressurise the egg. This keeps them from becoming little egg bombs. Set eggs on a folded paper towel in the microwave, to keep from rolling around.

Cook on high for EXACTLY 2 and 1/2 minutes. When the timer stops take the eggs out and let stand for about 15-20 minutes at room temp.

Peel, add a bit 'o salt and fresh pepper, ENJOY!

Mikey.

Reply

#8, I've used this method for years and it works fine with fridged eggs.

Reply

#8, I've used this method for years and it works fine with fridged eggs.

Reply

How do you tell a hard boiled egg from a fresh egg?

Reply

don't use the recipe in post 12 it doesn't work.
the eggs will explode. and could cause injury.

Reply

number 12 DOES NOT WORK

Reply

To #15 (if you're still interested and checking in)...To determine if an egg is fresh or hard boiled, gently spin it on a flat surface. Because its contents are essentially solid, a hard boiled egg will spin smoothly on a pivot point. A fresh egg will wobble about.

Reply

The very first way said to hard boil the egg does not work!!! my eggs were uncooked and I did it the same exact way as said!!!

Reply

I find that eggs peel much better if, after cooling down in cold water, they are dipped in near-boiling water for about 10 seconds.

I boil my eggs in a pasta cooker, so I can easily pull them out of the hot water, dunk the whole strainer in a bin of ice water, let them cool for a few minutes while keeping the hot water hot....then dunk the whole strainer back in hot water for 10 seconds.

The heat causes the shell to expand and separate from the egg white, so you get less of the shell sticking or pulling off bits of white.

Reply