Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

An egg slicer makes this protein packed nutritious
snack fun!

We get our eggs delivered weekly, every Monday morning.  So, every Sunday, I take all of last week's eggs and hard-boil them.  They're a great quick and healthy breakfast, snack, sandwich filling - whatever you need!  (And Weight Watchers gives them only two points, and considers them a "power food" - where you get the most bang for your buck!)

But, how do you make the perfect hard-boiled egg?  And how do you turn them into healthy snacks (or meals) for your family? Read on to find out all about the magic of boiling eggs.
First, let's get to the point: How to make perfect hard boiled eggs.  Note that these instructions are specific to an electric stove.  If you're waiting for the gas stove version, you'll just have to wait until we finish our kitchen remodel!

1. In the saucepan you'll use for boiling, cover the eggs in room temperature water and let them soak at room temperature for one hour (or more).
2. Place saucepan on cold stove.  Turn stove on, to high heat.
3. Once water reaches a rolling boil, continue to boil for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, turn off stove and leave saucepan on the hot unit for 12 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water, large enough to hold all of your eggs with ice.
6. After 12 minutes, gently remove eggs from saucepan and place in ice water.  Let eggs soak in ice water for 3 minutes.
7. Store boiled eggs in refrigerator for up to one week.

I have to give credit to A Nest For All Seasons, who first turned me onto a similar method for boiling eggs.

Now, here is some additional information that will make your eggs perfect:

Use eggs that are old enough, but not too old.  Have you ever wondered what makes some hard boiled eggs simple to peel, while others you can wrestle with and still not get all of the shell off?  If you have problems peeling your eggs, it's because they're too fresh.  So, be sure to use eggs that are at least one week old.

Now, here's how to test when your eggs are perfectly "ripe" for hard-boiling: Fill a tall glass with water, and place one egg in it.  If:

• your egg sinks, it's still fresh.  Great for scrambled eggs or an omelete.
• your egg stands on end, it's prime hard-boiling time!
• your egg floats, toss it - it's too old.  You can test its brethren individually, or just toss the whole batch.

Bring eggs to room temperature.  The inside of the egg will expand rapidly as it cooks, while the shell expands only slightly.  This differential is exaggerated when your eggs are chilled at the beginning.  To ensure that your eggs don't burst during boiling, be sure the eggs are at least at room temperature before beginning to boil them.  You don't have to cover them with water to do this - it simply speed the process. Feel free to leave your eggs out on the counter for several hours ahead of time.  (Don't worry, they'll keep!)

Never add eggs to already-boiling water.  Adding eggs to already boiling water increases the likelihood of bursting during the cooking process.

Watch the eggs, and time them carefully.  Have you ever wondered why your eggs sometimes get a green ring around the yolk?  Lo and behold, that's a sign that your eggs are over-cooked.  To ensure that your eggs are completely done but not over-done, time each step carefully: 3-min. boil; 12-min. rest; 3-min. ice.

Don't skip the ice.  The ice step is important because the eggs will continue to cook internally as long as they're holding enough heat in.  Submerging them in ice cools the inside enough to stop the cooking process, to ensure they don't get over-cooked.

Store in refrigerator.  Yeah, I said above that you can store them for up to one week.  Those are safe food handling guidelines widely recommended.  However, I generally keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge for two weeks without any problems.  This makes them a great make-ahead snack that doesn't take up freezer space, or valuable time thawing.

Don't freeze hard-boiled eggs.  The yolks generally freeze well, but the egg whites are adversely affected by the freezing process.  Freezing hard-boiled eggs results in an egg white that is tough and dry.

Now it's time to turn your hard-boiled eggs into make-ahead snacks and meals!  At our house, we'll peel and eat them plain right out of the fridge, drizzle them with tamari, or put them over pastas or salads.  Keep an eye on our blog, and soon we'll be posting healthy, simple ideas for making your hard-boiled eggs a protein-packed treat!

Other hard-boiled egg ideas:

Breakfast Burritos
Mediterranean Quinoa
Camping the Make-Ahead Way