Embarrassed that you don't know how to boil an egg? Don't worry. Just use our perfect hard boiled egg recipe or our simple, abbreviated or microwave versions.
Hard boiled eggs are great to have on hand for quick lunches, garnishes, and side dishes. The egg white is mostly water with some protein, while the egg yolk contains most of the protein and all of the fat, vitamins, and cholesterol.
The perfect hard boiled egg recipe leaves eggs with a tender white, a yolk that perfectly set (not darkened and not gooey), and peels easily.
Perfect Hard Boiled Egg Recipe
Ingredients:
Eggs (up to 24)
Water (2 - 6 quarts, depending on number of eggs)
Steps:
Place eggs in a tall pan and add enough water to cover eggs by 1 inch. (2 quarts for fewer than 5 eggs, 3 1/2 quarts for 12 eggs, and 6 quarts for 24 eggs.) Never try to boil more than 2 dozen (24) eggs at one time.
Set the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from heat, cover, and let sit exactly 17 minutes.
Move the eggs to a large bowl full of ice cubes and water (enough to cover the eggs) and let chill for 2 minutes. While chilling eggs, bring the hot water to a boil again. The chilling shrinks the body of the egg from the shell.
Move the eggs back to the boiling water, bring to a boil again, and let boil for 10 seconds.
Move the eggs back to the ice water once again. Chill for 15-20 minutes if possible.
Peel eggs by first tapping on a hard surface to crack the shell and then rolling between the hands to loosen the shell before peeling.
Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days submerged in water.
Tips:
Use only clean eggs with unbroken shells. Don't use any eggs that are unclean, cracked, broken or leaking. Although it's not a foolproof bacterial barrier, the egg shell does offer barriers to help prevent bacteria from getting in.
Hard boiled egg yolks can be frozen, but freezing causes cooked egg whites to become tough and watery.
Use a crayon to mark those eggs you've already boiled, if not shelled, to distinguish these from the uncooked ones.
Have an unmarked egg and don't remember if it's been boiled? Spin it. If it wobbles instead of spinning, the yolk is moving and you'll know it's uncooked.
2 egg whites may be substituted for 1 full egg in most recipes.
Here's an interesting tip: Store eggs point-down to center the yolk for more attractive hard cooked eggs.
Abbreviated Hard Boiled Egg Recipe
Ingredients:
Eggs (up to 24)
Water (2 - 6 quarts, depending on number of eggs)
Steps:
Place eggs in a tall pan and cover eggs by 1 inch with cold water.
Set the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from heat, cover, and let sit 18 minutes.
Immediately cool eggs in cold water to prevent further cooking.
Peel eggs by first tapping on a hard surface to crack the shell and then rolling between the hands to loosen the shell before peeling.
Microwaving eggs works well for salads and garnishes, where the boiled eggs are cut. The best part is that you won't need to peel them!
Microwave Hard Boiled Egg Recipe
Ingredients:
Eggs
Nonstick cooking spray
Steps:
Lightly spray a small microwave container with cooking spray.
Crack egg into container.
Cover and cook on medium power (50%) for 45 seconds.
Check egg and finish cooking in 15 second intervals, up to 1 1/2 minutes total, until solid.
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