How To Peel Hard Boiled Eggs

Sometimes the biggest challenge when it comes to hard boiling eggs is to actually peel them. Removing the shell can crack the hardened egg white so it becomes fractured and unpleasant to serve. In this article I’m going to share with you a couple of tips on how to easily peel hard boiled eggs and get them (almost) always nice and presentable.

To easily peel your hard boiled eggs there are actually a couple of tricks. The first one might even surprise you.

Most Important Tip: Don’t Use Fresh Eggs

The less fresh your eggs are, the easier to peel them. Try to use eggs that are nearing their expiration date for hard boiling. You’ll be surprised to see that their shell will come off much more easily.

This is also a good idea as you want to use your fresh eggs for more “runny” recipes such as fried eggs or soft boiled eggs. And you also want to make sure your not so fresh eggs get fully cooked by hard boiling them.

Please don’t mistake less fresh eggs with anything that’s not suitable for human consumption. These eggs are totally fine, and I strongly suggest you to eat them before expiration. The best by date or expiration date for eggs is usually a couple of weeks after they are placed in the carton. So when I’m talking about not so fresh eggs, I’m talking about totally normal eggs, simply nearing their best by date.

5 Steps To Peel Hard Boiled Eggs

Let’s see how to actually peel hard boiled eggs. To learn how to cook them, click on the link.

1. Once your eggs are cooked, cool them immediately in cold water.
   
2. Change the water 2-3 times to make sure your eggs have cooled down. Once they are just slightly warmer than room temperature, you can go ahead and start peeling them.
3. Tap the eggs to the counter a couple of times to completely break the shell on every side.
   
4. Break off the shell cautiously under running cold water. Make sure to remove the shell with the inner membrane to make it easier to peel.
   
5. Rinse and dry your egg once completely peeled.
   

Your hard boiled eggs are peeled and ready to eat. If you followed my instructions, they are also nice, presentable and without any tears or crannies.

But don’t worry if your hard boiled eggs don’t always come out perfect. This method, as everything in the kitchen, needs practice. Also you can always use your ugly hard boiled eggs in many dishes, such as egg salad or a yummy egg salad sandwich.

And don’t forget the most important tip above. If you have very fresh eggs, use them in any other dish and try not to hard boil them.