How to Boil an Egg, the Right Way. A few years ago, a friend called me, to ask what I thought might be the stupidest question Id ever heard. Do you know how to boil an eggI laughed at her, thinking how I had admired her so much for being such a great, put together first time mom and halfway decent cook but reallyHow Do You Hard Boil An Egg In Microwave2. Soft Boiled Soft boiled eggs follow the same process as hard boiled eggs, but you cut the cooking time roughly in half. This gets the egg white cooked while. Dont know how long to boil eggs Well this video makes cooking hard boiled eggs almost as easy as boiling water. The gentle method shown in this. How do you get rid of the shell around a hardboiled egg. You dont know how to boil an egg As I started to explain to her the concept of getting a pot, filling it with water, putting the eggs in the pot, my smugness started to wear off. Wait a minute. How long did you boil the water for Do you put them in with the water cold or hotOMG, did I know how to boil an egg I realized that while I had the basic mechanics of how to do it, the subtle nuances that create a gorgeous creamy hard boiled egg were eluding me. In fact, I was boiling eggs and getting anywhere from perfectly done, to overdone, with that yucky gray ring around the yolk. Science Lesson That gray ring around the yolk is actually the iron in the egg yolk reacting with the hydrogen sulfide from the white and only happens when you over cook it. So with a gazillion eggs from our backyard chickens in hand, I set out to boil the perfect egg. And I was pretty surprised at what I learned. It is actually as easy as you think it should be. Provided you pay attention I tend to suck at paying attention to things so I had some pretty gross attempts. We have the luxury of using really really fresh eggs like, right from the chicken. But those arent really the eggs that you want. The fresher they areThe harder they are to peel once they are cooked. So if you want to get really easy to peel eggs Use some that are a little bit older. This is probably not going to be a problem for the average consumer, since most of the eggs that you buy in the store have been there for a while. But, just in case you ever get chickensNow the directions 1 Grab your eggs Im using large eggs, and a pot. Pretty easy start, rightPut the eggs in the pot and cover them with cold water, only about an inch overhead. Put them on the stove and turn it on medium high heat. Now this is where you NEED to pay attention. As SOON as that water starts to boil and I mean boil, not just a few bubble here and there, turn the stove off and cover them. Set the timer for 1. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the pot and put them in cold water. Sometimes I put them in an ice bath, but I havent found that it really matters either way7 Let them sit for about 5 1. Of course, if you dont want them right away, just store them in the fridge, but try to use them within a few days as they go bad faster than uncooked eggs. Now tell me that wasnt the SIMPLEST, most STUPID PROOF way to boil an egg Give it a try and let me know if it works for youThanks for stopping by If youre interested in more recipes and how tos, stop by my Good Enough to Eat page I tackle quick breads, cookies, casseroles and TONS of other amazing recipes even How to Use a WHOLE Chicken from whole bird to bare bones Or get Its Fitting in your inboxHow to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs. Cover the eggs in a saucepan with water Fill a saucepan about a quarter of the way with water. Place the eggs in a single layer at the bottom of the saucepan. Add more water so that the eggs are covered by at least an inch or two of water. The more eggs that are crowding the pan the more water you should have over the eggs. Heat the pot on high heat and bring the water to a full rolling boil. Adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the water may help keep egg whites from running out if an egg does crack while cooking. Also some people find adding 12 teaspoon of salt to the water helps prevent cracking as well as making the eggs easier to peel. Turn off the heat, keep the pan on the hot burner, cover, and let sit for 1. If you have the type of stove burner that doesnt retain heat when turned off, you might want to lower the temp to low, simmer for a minute, and then turn it off. Depending on how cooked you like your hard boiled eggs, the eggs should be done perfectly in 1. That said, depending on your altitude, the shape of the pan, the size of the eggs, the ratio of water to eggs, it can take a few minutes more. Or if you like your eggs not fully hard cooked, it can take a few minutes less. When you find a time that works for you, given your preferences, the types of eggs you buy, your pots, stove, and cooking environment, stick with it. If Im cooking a large batch of eggs, after 1. Ill sacrifice one to check for doneness, by removing it with a spoon, running it under cold water, and cutting it open. If its not done enough for my taste, Ill cook the other eggs a minute or two longer. I also find that it is very hard to overcook eggs using this method. I can let the eggs sit, covered, for up to 1. Strain the water from the pan and run cold water over the eggs to cool them quickly and stop them from cooking further. Sriracha Wings. Or, if you are cooking a large batch of eggs, remove them with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water. I find it easiest to peel the eggs under a bit of running water. The best way to store hard boiled eggs is in a covered container in the refrigerator. Eggs can release odors in the fridge which is why it helps to keep them covered. They should be eaten within 5 days.