How to make hardboiled eggs
Hardboiled eggs are an easy way to get quick protein for the day. You can make some of these up, and leave in the refrigerator for a quick grab and go snack or make some into sandwiches. There are 2 ways to make them, try both.
Making in the oven
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Put 1 egg in each of 12 muffin cups.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Plunge baked eggs in a large bowl filled with ice water until cooled completely, about 10 minutes.
- Carefully pierce egg on side of pan and begin peeling off the shells.
Making on the stove
- Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer.
- Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch.
- Heat over high heat just to boiling.
- Remove from heat and cover pan.
- Let eggs stand in hot water for 10 minutes.
- Drain immediately and place in bowl of ice water.
- Pierce shells and peel off.
Tips for hardboiled eggs
- Piercing shells before cooking is not recommended. If not sterile, the piercer or needle can introduce bacteria into the egg. Also, piercing creates hairline cracks in the shell through which bacteria can enter after cooking.
- Never microwave eggs in shells. Steam builds up too quickly inside and eggs are likely to explode.
- Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. To ensure easily peeled eggs, buy and refrigerate them a week to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief “breather” allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.
- Hard-boiled eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling. Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.
- To peel a hard-boiled egg: Gently tap egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Starting peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.
- Storage time: In the shell, hard-boiled eggs can be refrigerated safely for up to one week. Refrigerate in their original carton to prevent odor absorption. Once peeled, eggs should be eaten that day.
- Sometimes your egg yolks will appear greenish. This is a harmless but unsightly discoloration that can be unappealing. This happens when eggs have been cooked for too long or too high of a temperature because of a reaction between sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk.
