Sunday, March 14, 2010

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (SCD, GFCF)



One of my co-workers sells fresh eggs. They come in all different colors, which my son loves. He's at that age where he always wants to know why. When he asked why they were different colors I said they came from magic chickens. That answer seemed to suffice. I'm not lying if I really believe it, right?

I used to think that for boiling eggs you just let them boil in water for awhile and voila...boiled eggs. I also wondered why my yolks were always green on the outside. Turns out, there are many different views on how to get a perfect, creamy, and green-less boiled egg.




If I consult my usual sources, The Joy of Cooking, recommends starting with simmering water, enough to cover a single layer of eggs by one inch, then adding the eggs with a slotted spoon and boiling 14 minutes for large eggs. Then plunging into cold water. Cooks Illustrated recommends putting them in boiling water for 10 minutes and then putting into cold water. But for me, the idea of working with my hands over boiling water isn't appealing. Luckily there's even more suggestions.

Elaine Corn, author of 365 Ways to Cook Eggs,(a favorite cookbook of mine) says to put the eggs in a pot in a single layer, cover with water by one inch. Bring to boil over high heat. Turn off immediately, cover and let sit for 17 minutes. Then rinse in a colander under cold water. She says that peeling the eggs immediately keeps the green on the yolks from forming.

I use the method similar to Ms. Corn's. I put my eggs in a pot, cover with water by about 1/2 to one inch. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil one minute. Remove from heat and cover with a lid and let sit for 11 minutes. Run under cold water. I don't peel mine immediately unless I am using them at the moment. I keep them in the fridge, up to one week, on hand for salads and snacking. You may need to experiment to find what works best.

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures, I just got some baby chicks this week and have three "Americanas" which will lay the green and blue eggs. I can't wait! Great post

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  2. How interesting! I never thought that there would be more than one way to boil an egg. :D

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