# Shelling hardboiled eggs!



## Jovin (May 7, 2004)

Come on!  There has GOT to be a secret as to how you get the darned shells off of the hardboiled eggs without taking half an hour each, or half of the egg itself!   
	

	
	
		
		

		
			








I am so darned agitated with this problem. I have times when they come off so easily and clean and others when I just shove the darn half-shelled egg back in the fridge and wait till I can cool off enough to try it  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







I do my eggs the way an old neighbour told me years ago.  For really tender eggs she said that you put them in cold water and bring them to a boil and then take them off the stove and let them sit for 20 minutes. After that you run cold water over them for abit and then leave them sit in it for awhile.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I'm happy with these eggs the way they turn out, but have a problem from time to time shelling them.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







HELP!  
Jovin


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## lindatooo (May 7, 2004)

Ah!  A  :?:  I have an answer for!

It has to do with the age of your eggs.  Older eggs peel much more easily than very fresh ones because the membrane around the white shrinks some.  Keep your eggs at least a week before hard-boiling and you should have better luck.  Of course it becomes very clear that not all the eggs in a carton are the same age!   :?  because some will peel easily but not others.

Another tip I've seen is to put a rubber band around the carton and store the egg carton on it's side.  That will center your yokes better.

2


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## Jovin (May 7, 2004)

great info...thanks...I'm in such a rush...

Jovin


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## Barbara L (May 7, 2004)

Lindatooo's advice was good.  As far as getting the shells off, the easiest way I have found is to tap each end on the counter or cutting board.  Then roll the egg between the counter and your palm.  You should hear it cracking all over.  Then peel it under cold running water.  

 Barbara


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## Jovin (May 7, 2004)

Hi Barbara, 

That's basically what I do, but somewhere I read that you should start peeling at the rounded (larger) end.  I always do, but I hate trying to get the shells off!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I don't always have alot of trouble, but the times when I do, I feel like there has got to be a secret that has been well kept by someone, somewhere!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




   It's so irritating!

Thanks for the advice.  
Jovin


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## -DEADLY SUSHI- (May 7, 2004)

After cooking the eggs... immediatly throw them in very cold water.
Wait 2-5 minutes and peel. Because of the temp difference the eggs (inside) will shrink. And the goo (yes.. I know, Im very technical) will harden a bit, making it easier to rip off more shell at a time.


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## Jovin (May 7, 2004)

Deadly Sushi said:
			
		

> After cooking the eggs... immediatly throw them in very cold water.
> Wait 2-5 minutes and peel. Because of the temp difference the eggs (inside) will shrink. And the goo (yes.. I know, Im very technical) will harden a bit, making it easier to rip off more shell at a time.



I do immerse them in cold running water..letting it run over them for awhile and then let them sit in it.  I still have trouble some of the time though.   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Maybe it's just me, or maybe the eggs are old?       
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Jovin


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## -DEADLY SUSHI- (May 7, 2004)

Put them in a POT of very cold water.... not just under running water.


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## Jovin (May 7, 2004)

Deadly Sushi said:
			
		

> Put them in a POT of very cold water.... not just under running water.



I DO put them in a pot of very cold water, after letting cold water run over them for awhile.

Jovin   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Wonderwoman I am NOT!


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## lindatooo (May 7, 2004)

Jovin it's the opposite problem...your eggs are too new not too old...try keeping them a week.  It will help..promise!


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

lindatooo said:
			
		

> Jovin it's the opposite problem...your eggs are too new not too old...try keeping them a week.  It will help..promise!



Do you mean to say that when I bought them at the grocery store the other day that some chickie had just got off that egg before I went into the store?   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Wow!  It's hard to believe that you can actually buy eggs that are THAT fresh!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Well thanks for that info, and I'm passing it on to my cousin who hasn't had any answers for me either on that subject.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Jovin  (It's after 3am now, so I'm getting a little silly!)


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## Linaka (May 8, 2004)

*Jovin, here's what I do--------Bring eggs to a boil-------cover pot and turn off stove--------let stand for 5 min.---------take pot to sink and carefully drain water-------then cover pot and give it a shake to crack the shells-------and voila----shelled eggs......Linaka*


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

Well, listen Linaka, if this is the Hawaiian way of doing it, I'M DOING IT!  It's the closest I'll get to anything Hawaiian.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Thanks,
Jovin... in the *OTHER* tourist place!


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

Linaka said:
			
		

> *Jovin, here's what I do--------Bring eggs to a boil-------cover pot and turn off stove--------let stand for 5 min.---------take pot to sink and carefully drain water-------then cover pot and give it a shake to crack the shells-------and voila----shelled eggs......Linaka*



*Questions: * Do you start with the eggs already in the pot in cold water, and then bring them to a boil?   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Do you put salt in the water too? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Jovin (who never tires of asking questions)


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## MJ (May 8, 2004)

I put them in cold water and bring to A boil, then turn off heat and cover. It has to do with bringing the temp of the whole egg up. You could imagine dropping A cold egg into boiling water- the outside would cook and get rubbery, while the inside is soft. I use alot of salt in the water also- not really sure if this works, but I just add some :?:  Some people swear by using cooking oil in the water. As stated previously, after there done and drained, shake em in the pan to crack, then emerse into very chilly water. I think the cold water can get underneath the shell to make for easy peeling.  This seems to work the best from my experiment's when my 2 kids and I went thru the "hard boiled egg addiction-after school- every day for A snack" period awhile ago.
 A little salt & pepper, and A splash of Tabasco!!mmmm.
Jovin, I learned the smilie thing!


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

Well, MJ...I guess I was doing things pretty much the right way...putting them in cold water, sometimes with salt, and then bringing to a boil, taking off the stove and letting sit for 20 min. for tender hard cooked eggs (I was told) and then rinsing for a minute or so with cold running water, and then leaving them sit in cold water for awhile. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




The only thing is lots of times I don't shell them right away, but put them in the fridge for use later.   Is this my problem?  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Jovin


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## MJ (May 8, 2004)

I'm not sure Jovin. I crack em' in cold water, dry them, and put them back in the carton, for later use also.
 I do know that fresh eggs are A pain! I check the experation date and wait at least A week before boiling. This is the bigest factor for getting the shell off with ease that I noticed.

 Maybe you could buy that egg-stractor thing on those infomercials! You just slam the top of that thing and A perfect hard-boiled egg shoots out.
 seems to good to be true. I've heard it works badly though.

http://www.iseenontv.com/

Have A GREAT day


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

MJ said:
			
		

> I'm not sure Jovin. I crack em' in cold water, dry them, and put them back in the carton, for later use also.



Gosh, that's different. Never heard of anyone doing that before.  After such loving care as that, how can you eat them?   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






> I check the experation date and wait at least A week before boiling. This is the bigest factor for getting the shell off with ease that I noticed.



Do you mean that you actually wait till a week AFTER the expiration date, before you use them? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






> Maybe you could buy that egg-stractor thing on those infomercials! You just slam the top of that thing and A perfect hard-boiled egg shoots out.


 
I've never seen that...must be missing something, I guess.  




(I just checked it out...neato!)  

Jovin


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## MJ (May 8, 2004)

I should have been more specific :?  I check the experation date to make sure I don't go past it, if I wait A week to cook my eggs. People always check the eggs at my grocery store to see if the eggs are cracked, but I never see them check the date. 

 I crack my hard-boiled eggs under water and put them back in the fridge with the shell still on. A farmer down the road sells fresh eggs (the best for cookin-not boiling) for 75 cents A dozen. Darn good and fresh- same day eggs


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

MJ said:
			
		

> I should have been more specific :?  I check the experation date to make sure I don't go past it, if I wait A week to cook my eggs. People always check the eggs at my grocery store to see if the eggs are cracked, but I never see them check the date.



That's the first thing I check..the date..then to see if any are cracked.



> I crack my hard-boiled eggs under water and put them back in the fridge with the shell still on.


 
Well that's interesting...guess I'll try some of these hints...thanks alot.

Jovin


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## Linaka (May 8, 2004)

*Jovin------Look what you started--We're all smiley craaaazy! What fun----Linaka
	

	
	
		
		

		
			



*


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

I know..and I actually managed to make a couple of posts without even one!  Am I sick, or what? 

No, just busy sorting out kitchen and bathroom cupboards, getting cleared out before packing to move. 

Whoops...I can't help it...gotta do it!   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  somebody stop me....   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




    oh no..it's a disease... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



(am I going to get kicked out of here?)  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  HELP!!  I'm sick..I need help...someone call a doctor   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 NO...not THAT kind! 
             ...call an ambulance...
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Jovin  (who needs help!)


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## MJ (May 8, 2004)

Ya Jovin, now I'm addicted to pasting these little bugers everywhere!


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

Actually, MJ..(I know you're REALLY Michael Jackson!)...you can almost carry on a conversation with smilies, if you're good enough, and if you have NO LIFE like me!  

Jovin  (let's see if I can make this post without including one smiley)...it's so hard....


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

cooking question:  What's the best way to cook rice?  I'm referring to long grain here.  I've always gone by what a cook on tv said...formula 1, 2 and 3... one cup rice, two cups water, yields three cups...she said put it in cold water, cook 15 min..don't remove lid.  My daughters find my rice like glue...I like it that way, but I do cook it a couple or more minutes longer sometimes. 

Any suggestions, or preferences according to Product names?


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## Barbara L (May 8, 2004)

Jovin,

Do you have a gas or electric stove?  For either, use at least double the water to the amount of rice.

For gas, bring to a boil.  Then stir and cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn as low as you possibly can and cook for 14 minutes.  Do you rinse it when it is done?  If not, that could be why it is sticky.  Put in a strainer and rinse before using to remove stickiness.

For electric, bring to a boil.  Stir and cover with a tight-fitting lid, then (leaving on the burner) turn burner off and let sit for 20 minutes.

Do not lift the lid during either of these methods.  

 Barbara


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

>Do you have a gas or electric stove? 

Electric

> For either, use at least double the water to the amount of rice.

I do..

>Do you rinse it when it is done?  If not, that could be why it is sticky.  Put in a strainer and rinse before using to remove stickiness.

NEVER heard that before!  Only read that you should strain it under running water before cooking it...to get all the starch off, and I do...the water is murky that comes off of it.

>For electric, bring to a boil.  Stir and cover with a tight-fitting lid,
I do that...

 >then (leaving on the burner) turn burner off and let sit for 20 minutes.

What I do is, turn it down to minimum as soon as it starts to boil and then I have to keep lifting the darned pot up and down for a couple or more minutes till the darned heat cools down, or it will keep boiling over!  I'm a nerd, but that's what I do.  I usually cook it almost 20 min. but I keep in mind that that lady on the cooking show had said cook only 15!  Don't know who it was, but she was supposedly telling you how to cook perfect rice.

>Do not lift the lid during either of these methods.  
I definitely don't.
Wow! I've never heard that you should rinse the rice AFTER cooking.  I've seen Rachel Ray on the Food channel cook it but I cna't remember her rinsing it either, but I could be wrong.

Thanks a whole bunch, Barbara,
Jovin


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## lindatooo (May 8, 2004)

I have NEVER been able to cook plain rice on the stovetop - I mess it up every single time.  To cook plain rice I use a rice cooker!

I can do Rissotto - but I cannot manage plain rice!

BUT  I have a simply scrumptious recipe for "Cheese Rice" which is a family favorite and I'll post it in the pasta thread. So far as I know this is a completely unpublished recipe so you guys are the first to get it outside of my family!  Lucky you!    

You might also want to check what sort of rice you're using.  Long grain is much less sticky than a short grain (as you would use in Rissoto - Arborio rice is what's used there) but with lots of liquid and cheese usually.


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

Linda I was referring to long grain white rice, and yes, I'm sorry...I saw later that there was a rice and pasta thread.

Thanks for posting your recipe, and I'm sure going to try it...gotta go look.

Jovin


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## Linaka (May 8, 2004)

*Get a rice cooker---perfect rice everytime......Linaka*


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## Jovin (May 8, 2004)

Linaka said:
			
		

> *Get a rice cooker---perfect rice everytime......Linaka*



My daughter had one when she lived with me, and it was awful!  

Jovin


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## Barbara L (May 8, 2004)

With electric you can save yourself a lot of trouble just by turning it off as soon as you cover it and let it sit on the burner for 20 minutes.  I had always cooked rice on a gas stove, but I kept messing it up when I ended up with an electric stove.  A friend told me how to do it, and I have gotten perfect rice every time since.

 Barbara


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## lindatooo (May 9, 2004)

Jovin.,..found this in another thread on eggs.....from an eggspert!



			
				geraldine said:
			
		

> Eggs in general keep a lot longer than most people think they do.  The egg, like the uterus, is a steril field.  If it wasn't we wouldn't be able to have baby chicks.  Eggs can keep one heck of a looooooong time iwithout refrigeration if kept in a cool, dark invironment.  Heat and light will cause them to go off a lot quicker.
> 
> The white being high and tight is not always an indication of freshnesh because refrigeration causes the white to loose it's structure and break down a bit.
> 
> ...


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## allenwoll (May 28, 2004)

I am no less perturbed than the rest of you folks out there trying to hard boil eggs.  I suspect that the degree of difficulty each is experiencing is roughly proportional to his/her altitude.  We are at 5,000 Ft above sea level -- very poor hardboil results -- yuk !  But I believe that I may have found an answer, at least to one component of the problem.

My theory is that the boiling water is not getting hot enough -- the temperature at which pure water boils is inversely related to the altitude at which one is cooking (See high-altitude cooking).  To prove this theory (that the water is not hot enough), I added as much salt as the hot water would dissolve (this raises the boiling point markedly) -- and presto, I got an (almost) perfectly shelled hardboiled egg.  Since it was (almost), there must be more devilment at work here, but at least this is a step forward -- provided I and someone else can repeat the experiment with the same result.  Perhaps it works even better at sea level.


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## BubbaGourmet (May 28, 2004)

Allen;
   I think...but am not sure... that boiling temp at your altitude is only 207 degrees. That being the case, wouldn't extending the cooking time work?


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## allenwoll (May 28, 2004)

BubbaG,

That sounds plausible, but that has not been our experience.  What I need to do is a controlled experiment, and I will, one day.  The thing is, we had similar problems at 750 Ft, just not quite as bad.  Next batch, I will try cooking longer, no salt.

There simply has to be a way -- I do not recall having such problems in the kitchen as I was growing up -- what has happened ? 

One thing for sure -- there is presently no consensus on this subject.


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