OK, chickadees.
If you don’t know how to properly boil an egg, then it’s time to get cracking!
There’s nothing more frustrating and disheartening in the kitchen than peeling eggs to devil that just won’t!
It happens to the best of us, but you just need to follow a few pro tips.
We asked Milk Punch Media food contributor and Chicken Mama Jill Smith for her foolproof method for boiling eggs.
No Pinterest fails, unecessary Old Wives’s Tales or kitchen contraptions here.
Jill says the absolute key to achieving boiled eggscellence is to PLAN ONE WEEK AHEAD, precision and patience.
You gotta get all OCD on boiling eggs, but it’s super simple.
Here’s a Boiled Egg Cheatsheet down to the minute for hard “cooking” (not boiling) eggs that assure easier-to-peel eggs every time.
Boiled Egg Cheatsheet
Fill a saucepan with cold water and bring the water to a rolling boil.
Using a slotted spoon, lower eggs straight from the refrigerator into the boiling water.
Turn off the heat and cover pan. (If you have an electric stovetop, remove pan from burner completely.)
Set a timer. Leave eggs in the covered pan for the following amount of time, according to desired firmness:
Slightly runny soft-boiled eggs:
6 minutes
Custardy yet firmer soft-boiled eggs:
8 minutes
Firm yet still creamy hard-boiled eggs:
12 minutes
Hard-boiled eggs:
14 minutes
Fill a bowl with ice water. Transfer the eggs with slotted spoon to the bowl and leave them for at least 15 minutes.
Crack eggs on counter top and place back in the water.
Peel eggs in the ice water or under cool running water.
EGG Q&A
We had a few eggs-tra questions about Jill’s own backyard chicks and cooking free-range eggs at home.
What kind of chickens do you have in the backyard and what are their names?
Jill: My flock consists of Cinnamon Queens, Olive Eggers, Black Wyandottes and Buff Orbingtons. I don’t name them, I just call them my girls.
Your eggs are always so much better than store bought!
Fresh eggs from free-range chickens are always better when you can get them. They just tend to be richer as the chicken’s diet is more natural.
Do you handle fresh farms eggs any differently from store-bought eggs?
Freshly laid eggs do not have to be refrigerated, unless you wash them. Eggs will maintain a better quality when stored in the refrigerator, washed or not. However, unwashed fresh eggs will keep best. I keep my freshies in a carton on my counter out of direct sunlight.
How can you tell if an egg is still good?
Fill a cup with cold tap water. Place the egg in the water.
If it sinks, it’s still good.
If it turns on its side, it’s not the freshest, but OK.
If it floats, toss it.
Any old wives’ tales for boiling egg methods you ignore?
Some people swear adding a tablespoon of vinegar to your eggs while boiling makes them peel easier. This is not something I do.
What’s your go-to Deviled Egg recipe lately?
My go-to deviled egg recipe is a variation on Southwestern Deviled Eggs. They’re always a hit and have a kick! Keto friendly also.
Any egg tips for baking queens?
When baking always bring your eggs up to room temperature. The dish will rise better.
How do you cook eggs at home other than making deviled eggs and your low-carb breakfast wraps?
My grandmother fried her eggs in bacon grease. This is still a stand-by on toast, especially when you have imbibed a little too much the night before!