How to Cook Supreme Hard-Boiled Eggs

         

    

Ever set out to make a batch of hard-boiled eggs and wind up disappointed with the results? Greenish yolks, stiff or too-soft whites, even just shells that are difficult to remove? I have been there too, but now I know better. Making perfect hard-boiled eggs is simple if you can remember and stick to a basic formula. Read on for the simple formula and get ready to cook and serve perfect hard-boiled eggs every time!

First, decide how many eggs you will cook and place them in a saucepan. A normal, 1-quart saucepan will work fine (assuming you are cooking a dozen eggs or less). Now fill the saucepan with cold water until the water level is about an inch above your eggs. Quick tip: Never put water on to boil that isn't cold - no matter what your plumbing system is like, hot water will always contain some waste from within your hot water heater.

Once you have your eggs in the pot and covered with water, transfer the saucepan to the stove. Turn the heat up high, as you need the water to boil. For hard-boiled eggs a "rolling boil" is desired, which is when something is boiling quickly and the water's contents may roll around in the pot from the rising bubbles. Let this rolling boil occur for 1 minute (2 if cooking more than 10 eggs, 3 if more than 20, etc.).

After 1 minute, cover your saucepan with a lid and turn off the stove. Allow the eggs to sit in the covered pan for 1 minute per egg. After the appropriate length of time, place saucepan in empty sink and strain out all water. Replace hot water with a few inches of cold water (again, enough to more than cover the eggs) and allow to cool for a few minutes. When eggs are cool to the touch, peel and eat or serve according to your recipe's instructions.

Another quick tip for hard-boiled eggs is for breaking their shells without damaging the soft contents. To do this, tap the top and bottom edges of the egg gently on a hard surface (such as a plate or counter top). When you have "cracked" the shell at both ends, place the egg on its side on your hard surface and gently roll back and forth. The shell should come off easily and will often peel off as one large casing rather than a million small bits.

With these instructions, your hard-boiled eggs will look and taste great every time!

Jay has been interested in health issues for many years now, although he is fairly new to article writing.