As Easter nears, questions about hard-cooked eggs are plentiful for University of Wyoming Extension educators. Most questions surround how to and how long you should hard boil eggs. Why do yolks sometimes have a green tinge? How long can you keep hard-cooked eggs? We’ve got answers.
Egg Freshness
An egg’s age makes a difference, but only when the eggs are super-fresh. Freshly laid eggs are more likely to stick to the shell. Save fresh eggs for other dishes. You may want to let farm-fresh eggs sit for two weeks before using them for hard cooking.
The eggs you’re getting at the supermarket are old enough that no further aging at home should be necessary. Still, looking for the package with the closest expiration date doesn’t hurt.
Food Safety
Piercing shells before cooking is not recommended. If not sterile, the piercer or needle can introduce bacteria into the egg and allow bacteria to enter the egg after cooking, with the hairline cracks in the shell.
Never leave egg dishes or cooked eggs out of the refrigerator for more than two hours or over 1 hour when temperatures exceed 90°F.
Cooking Methods
The correct term for cooking eggs with their shells on is “hard cooking.” Eggs should not rapidly boil because of the risk of overcooking them according to most sources. The perfect hard-cooked egg has a velvety yolk paired with a soft, solid white.
So, how do you cook easy-peeling eggs with relatively tender whites? You’ll find umpteen different methods if you go online to find the best way to hard-cooked eggs. Here are three ways to hard-cook eggs.
Electric Pressure Cooking
This method is a great go-to method for perfect eggs every time. Place the eggs on the steamer rack in the pot, add a cup of water, close the lid, and set to cook on low pressure for 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately release pressure and chill the eggs in an ice bath for 15 minutes before peeling. Check your manual for instructions for your specific electric pressure cooker.
Steaming
When you steam eggs, they cook more gently than when boiled. It’s a quick method because you use less water and don’t have to wait for it to come to a boil. To steam, fill a saucepan with 1 inch of water. Place the steamer basket in the pan. Heat the water on high until it’s boiling and you see steam. Place the eggs in a single layer on the bottom of the steamer basket, reduce heat to medium, and cover the pot. Set the timer for 12-15 minutes for large eggs. Take one egg out, run it under cold water, peel it, and check it for doneness. Once done, immediately shock eggs in cold or ice water for 15 minutes. Peel eggs or store the eggs in the refrigerator when cool.
Boiling
Place a large pot of water on the stovetop and ensure there’s enough water in the pot to cover a single layer of eggs by about an inch. Turn on the heat to high and bring the water to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to low/medium heat so that the water is at a gentle simmer. Gently lower the cold eggs into the water with a spoon or skimmer, and set the timer for 12-15 minutes for large eggs (9-12 minutes for medium eggs; 15-18 minutes for extra large). The eggs are cooked gently in the hot water to produce tender, not rubbery, eggs and minimize cracking. The green ring occurs when eggs have been cooked for too long or at too high a temperature. Take one egg out, run it under cold water, peel, and slice it to check for doneness. To stop cooking, immediately shock the eggs in ice water and leave them for 15 minutes in the cold or ice water. Peel eggs or store the eggs in the refrigerator when cool.
Tips
- Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling eggs when cooking, cooling, or dyeing and after handling raw eggs.
- Hard-cook eggs cold, straight from the fridge. Additionally, when cooked cold, the yolks tend to be creamier.
- Use the same pan every time for consistent results.
- Adding salt to the water is optional, but it can help reduce the amount of egg white that leaks into the water if you have a cracked egg. It can help form a small seal on small cracks.
- Set a timer as soon as the eggs are added to the pot so you aren’t guessing at your timing.
- It may take a few tries, but experiment with cooking times. Everyone likes the yoke with a different consistency.
- The temperature at which water boils declines as elevation rises, so a longer time is required to prepare hard-cooked eggs at higher altitudes. A general rule of thumb is to increase the cooking time by about 1 minute for every 1,000 feet of elevation.
- Have a bowl of ice water ready to lower your eggs into there as soon as the timer is done. This stops the cooking process and makes them easier to peel.
- Start peeling at the wider end of the egg where the air bubble is located to get under the membrane for easy shell removal. Also, peeling eggs under running cold water forces water under the membrane for easier shell removal.
Storing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says raw eggs will keep refrigerated for three to five weeks after purchase. Be sure to buy eggs ahead of their “best-buy” or “sell-by” dates. Once cooked, eggs should be used within one week.
Hard-cooked eggs are a versatile ingredient and every cook should have this skill. Once you’ve experimented with these methods and tips, you’ll have plenty of hard-boiled eggs to use in recipes and snacks.
Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Community Vitality & Health Educator
Sources:
- The Incredible Egg, www.incredibleegg.org
- U.S. Food & Drug, www.fda.gov
- Food Safety and Inspection Service, www.fsis.usda.gov