Simple Trick for Making Easy to Peel Boiled Eggs

Have you ever wondered how to get easy to peel hard boiled eggs every time? Then you’ve come to the right place! My fool proof method for easy-peel eggs works every time. Whether your eggs are farm-fresh or straight off the grocery store shelf, you’ll achieve an easy to peel shell with this simple method.  

What is this amazing hack for easy peel eggs every time? The foolproof method that works every time for easy to peel boiled eggs is not to boil them at all, but rather to steam them.

Why does Steaming Eggs Work Better than Boiling?

First, let’s start talking about why egg shells stick to the egg whites in the first place. It all boils down to the membrane. When you try to peel an egg and chunks of egg stick to the shell, it’s because the membrane is still attached to both the white and the shell.

What can cause the membrane to loosen from the egg white and shell?

There are a few things that can cause the membrane to loosen from the egg shell.

• Air pockets between the membrane and the shell
• Increase in alkalinity can reduce the adhesion of the membrane

When we steam eggs, we create an environment where moisture tries to leave the egg. This creates air pockets around the membrane. You see, according to the American Egg Board egg whites are about 88% water. When you add them to a hot pot, some of the water in the white turns to water vapor and escapes through the pores of the shell. This leaves an air pocket between the membrane and the egg. When you boil eggs fully submerged in water, the pressure gradient is high making it more difficult for this air to escape.

What does the age of an egg have to do with anything?

You may have heard to use older eggs when hard boiling, because this makes them easier to peel. What does the age of an egg have to do with how it peels?

First, as eggs age, they begin to lose moisture. When this happens, the air pocket at the tip of the egg begins to expand, causing to membrane to separate from the egg shell.

Secondly, as eggs age, the pH of the white changes to become more alkaline. This pH change further contributes to the separation of the membrane from the egg.

When you boil those cute farm-fresh eggs that you picked up at the farmers market, you’re more likely to find your egg shells sticking. This is because the eggs have not gone through the processes above!

What methods are there to steam eggs?

You can stem eggs in both an instant pot or a stove top. I find I get the best results when I use the stovetop method. You see, because the instant pot has to release the pressure, you waste valuable time where the eggs are in the hot pressure cooker. This additional time makes it nearly impossible to achieve soft-boiled eggs because the eggs continue cooking until you can get them into an ice water bath. Additionally, you’ll end up with less than perfect hard boiled eggs because again, the over cooking will result in a grey or green colored layer on the outside of the yolk. This doesn’t harm anything, but it is a little unsightly. Let’s discuss what you’ll need to make easy to peel boiled eggs! 

What You’ll need:

Items to Make Easy to Peel Boiled Eggs:

• Pot with a lid
• Slotted spoon
• Large bowl of ice water

 Ingredients to make Easy to Peel Boiled Eggs: 

• Room temperature eggs
• Water

How to Make Easy to Peel Boiled Eggs 

As I mentioned above the secret to easy to peel, boiled eggs is actually to steam them! 

1. Place approximately 1/2 to 1 inch of water in the bottom of a pot.  
2. Turn the stove on high heat and bring your water to a gentle boil.  
3. Once the pot of water is boiling, place eggs into the hot water in a single layer into the bottom of the pot  
4. Cover and continue to steam for 10-12 minutes depending on the consistency you’re looking for. You’ll steam them for 10 minutes for soft boiled eggs and 12 minutes for hard boiled.  
5. After your 10-12 minutes is up, immediately remove the eggs from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place them directly into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. You need to ensure that you have enough water in the ice bath to completely cover the eggs with cold water.

FAQ’s About Easy to Peel Boiled Eggs: 

Will this work with farm fresh eggs?

Yep! The beauty of this method is that you will achieve easy to peel boiled eggs regardless of how fresh your eggs are!

Do I have to use eggs that are room temperature, or can I use cold eggs for this recipe?

It’s best to use room temperature eggs when making this recipe because there’s really no way to adjust the time to accommodate how cold your eggs are. You would need to add some time to your timer (possibly a minute or two) to achieve perfect hard-boiled eggs without that grey ring on the yolk, but this isn’t an exact science. Will your eggs still cook and will the egg shell peel away nicely without taking chunks of egg away with it? Yes, but again, you run the risk of not cooking them correctly.  

Can I use an instant pot pressure cooker to steam my eggs?

Technically, yes, but you run the risk of overcooking the eggs as you need to let the instant pot, release the steam and pressure before you can remove the eggs and cool them in an ice water bath. if you overcook your boiled eggs, you will notice that the outer layer of your yoke will be a green or gray color instead of a bright yellow.

Why do I have a grey or green ring on the outside of my yolk?

This is the result of over cooking your eggs. That’s why cooking time is so important when you boil eggs! It’s crucial to steam the eggs no more than 12 minutes for hard boiled eggs to add directly to an ice bath to stop the cooking process in order to also prevent this unsightly gray layer.

Is there any other benefit of placing the eggs immediately into an ice bath?

Yes! Placing the cooked eggs in an ice bath, doesn’t only stop the cooking process. It also causes the cooked egg inside the shell to contract away from the membrane. Because the white pulls away from the membrane it also prevents sticking once the eggs are refrigerated. Just make sure to pull the eggs once cooled from the ice bath and place directly in the refrigerator to continue cooling. As long as the cooling process is rapid, the eggs were easy to peel!

Best Ways to Use Easy to Peel Boiled Eggs:

I love the convenience of a boiled egg, so one of my favorite ways to enjoy these easy to peel eggs is fresh out of the refrigerator with a little pinch of salt. You can also use them for things like: 

• Egg salad sandwiches
• Deviled eggs
• Sliced on a salad

What’s your favorite way to enjoy boiled eggs?

Leave a comment below! I’d love to hear how you like to serve and enjoy boiled eggs!