Free-Range for kids
This never used to be a problem, but now that we are all raising our own chickens or buying ϋber fresh eggs from the Green Market, Fairway and Trader Joes we’re stuck: the eggs are hard to peel.
Fear not! Through the wonder of the PSP community, we can now reveal the secret to peeling eggs without suffering major trauma.
--FRESH EGGS – Not All They’re Cracked Up To Be
Yeah we know, they’re wonderful and everything. The hens were happy, the yolks are golden, and the taste is amazing. If there were any justice in the cosmos they would be easy to peel. They are not. Life is not fair: the Kardashians persist and some day we're all going to die. In the meantime however, we can help with the egg part. The secret is.... don't use super-fresh eggs. Most of our members suggest letting your eggs mature for a week in the fridge before attempting a peel. They will still be luscious.
--GENTLE! – Don’t Over Cook Your Eggs
Eggs are a slacker’s delight. You don’t need to boil your eggs to the tunes of Wagner to get a fully cooked hardboiled egg( unless you’re going for that Apocalypse Now Army-green yolk thing). Here’s what you need to do:
1) Put your eggs into a pan of cool water making sure the eggs are completely covered.
2) Gently bring to a boil.
3) Switch off the heat and let the eggs sit covered in the pan for 10 minutes or so – then you will be ready to peel
--COOL IT – Disarm Your Egg Shells with Shock and Awe
Everyone agrees: you must cool your eggs quickly to prepare them for peeling. The best way to do this is to plunge them into a bath of water, the colder the better. In other words, put in lots of ice. If you don’t have an ice maker, it’s worth buying a bag for this purpose. Plunge, plunge plunge: you are now ready to peel.
--TAKE IT OFF – Cool Techniques from Egg Geeks
1) Start with the large end of the egg where the air pocket is. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to wheedle your way under the membrane the separates the shell from the egg itself.
2) Begin peeling. You can take your chances and simply peel the shells off, you can peel the shells under running water (the water gets in between the membrane and the egg making it easier to peel, or you can use a fancy schmancy technique gleaned from America’s Test Kitchen: gently crack the shell all around the egg by tapping it on the counter (we suggest Vivaldi’s Spring to accompany this maneuver). Then carefully, taking care not to let yourself feel too smug, peel away the membrane spiral wise. The shells will stick to the membrane. Your egg will be perfect (probably).
--LETTING GO – The way of all eggs
Savor your perfectly peeled egg while you may. Joy is fleeting and so it is with eggs. This morning's perfectly hardboiled egg is a toddler scalp treatment by noon, but for one golden, shining moment….
Nancy McDermott
