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Use baking soda for easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs
Our food blogger couldn't figure out why her hard-boiled eggs, which she's cooked for years, were looking so beat up — until she learned this trick.
Fri, Jun 15 2012 at 2:41 PM
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Photo: Steven Depolo/Flickr
Sometimes, I’m a little slow to pick up on cause and effect. Let me give you an example. My husband’s family loves deviled eggs, and for years, I’ve been making them by the dozens for different events. A few years ago, I noticed that I was having trouble peeling them. The shells were sticking to the insides, ripping the hard-boiled eggs apart and creating a not-so-attractive side dish for parties.
It never occurred to me that the problem was the type of eggs I was buying. The eggs I buy now are from free-range chickens, and they’re much fresher than the eggs I used to buy from the grocery store. It turns out, the fresher the egg, the more difficult it will be to peel when it’s hard-boiled.
Fine Cooking says this is because the albumen, or the egg white, will stick to the shell of a fresher egg, but as the egg ages, it doesn’t stick as much to the shell. When the water with baking soda passes through the eggshell, it helps the albumen to separate from the shell.
I hadn’t heard this until someone mentioned it on Pinterest, but once I read about it, I decided to give it a try. I took two eggs from the same carton, marked one with an “X,” and put them in two separate pans of cold water. In the pan that held the egg with an "X” on it, I put one teaspoon of baking soda. I placed the pans on the stove, turned the flame up to high, and set the timer for 10 minutes. When the timer went off, I let the eggs sit for three more minutes in the water, and then I removed them and allowed them to cool.
When I went to peel them, the one that had been in the water with the baking soda peeled with no problem. The other one was difficult to peel smoothly, and it was missing several chunks before I was done. In the photo above, you can see the results: the one on the left, which was boiled in the baking soda water, will make for a better-looking deviled egg, and none of the egg has been wasted because it stuck to the shell.
I was pleased with the results of my experiment, and I’ll be adding baking soda to the water next time I boil eggs. Hopefully, I’ll get the same result.
Do you add baking soda to the water of boiled eggs to help them peel easily, or do you have another trick to share?
Related on MNN: Try this Avocado Baked Egg video recipe
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This totally works! I buy organic and since then peeling was a nightmare. Even using ice water. I also would hard boil them right after buying them. I poured some baking soda in prior to cooking. And prefectly peeled eggs!!
funny, I also buy fresh organic and I have never, ever had a problem with peeling eggs. ...
Organic eggs are not necessarily fresh off the nest. Organic refers to what they eat, not how old they are. I can testify to the truth of this phenomenon and with the eggs from chickens, it still happens after three weeks in the refrigerator. I was totally embarassed by the appearance of my deviled eggs that had been a special request for the holidays!
I use a food steamer I purchased at Aldi's. Love it!. 1 dozen eggs for 25 minutes. Perfect!
Thanks Ozzie....I have the same problem. Next I am going to try to add one feather from the left wing and two feathers from the right wing and add two tablespoons of dark beer. That ought to work perfectly.
Thanks. The baking soda sounds like a great idea.
Interesting discussion - a few things to try - I'd like to see more about whether baking soda affects the flavour.
I Have Always Just Used A Liitle Cooking Oil In The Water Of The Boiling Eggs And They Peel Just Fine.
In the ironage-village, where i work, we kill our own chicken for food. Sometimes we find eggs-ready-to-be-lain inside them - won't get them any fresher than that. After boiling them, I crack the shell and put them in cold water.
The shell comes of like a charm, and the eggs are perfect...
This is so timely as I just started buying organic eggs from a local farmer and at the same time, suddenly, my hard-boiled eggs weren't peeling very well - I was so frustrated, as I was using the same method as ever!!! Now, I will try this and the problem will be solved!!! Thanks so much for solving the mystery!
if you have chickens and let the eggs sit for two weeks then cook them they peel easily for egg salad, deviled eggs or soft boiled eggs...def a learned experience!!
I think people are missing the point. If you have fresh eggs, especially from your own chickens, they WILL NOT peel without chunks coming off using any of the methods being described in comments (cold water, etc). Trust me. I've tried. The freshness of the eggs REALLY does make a difference in how they peel.
After reading all of the comments, I am inclined to say, "To each his own." If it works for you, that's the best way. I do wonder if the condition of the water in different areas of the country changes the cooking time or type.
I like the Rachel Ray-the best way to have perfect eggs. Place eggs in a sauce pan and cover with water, add 1/4 cup of table salt. turn heat to high med. and when the water starts boiling Time 3minutes-set off burner and cover for 15 minutes. Then run tap water over the eggs and let cool awhile' Perfect eggs-nogreen!
I couldn't imagine Rachael Ray suggesting to add "1/4 CUP of Salt" to boil eggs..... so I researched it.... here is the Video..... Salt is not even mentioned...
maybe if it was for 'Pickled Eggs' I can for see it.... other than that I hope no one tries this....
http://rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/perfect-hard-boiled-egg/
I am interested in trying the baking soda method tho
My family has been using the salt technigue for many years and YES IT DOES WORK! It does not salt into the egg, it only helps to make the shells easier to come off.
We eat boiled eggs frequently, so at a quarter cup of salt for each batch, and we would be going through a lot of salt. The baking soda trick sounds great, though.
what's up
sounds like to much trouble to go thru for a hard boiled egg...imo
Sounds like an old wive's tale.
If you had the eggs in two separate pans, why would you need to mark one of them with an "X"?
And MAYBE it was the ink from the marker that really made the difference
most likely so they don't get mixed while they are cooling...so u don't forget which is which when u come back and peel them!
Wondering if the baking soda affects the taste or nutrients??
I buy the cheapest eggs I can find. Boil them for ???? minutes then emerse them into ice cold water for 10-15 minutes and have no problem peeling the eggs and 99% peel perfectly
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