The Hard Boiled Egg Secrets Mama Never Told You

1. You can prevent hard boiled eggs from cracking by rubbing a cut lemon on the shell before cooking.

2. Boiled eggs should be cooled to room temperature before refrigerating them in an open bowl.

3. To make the eggs easier to peel, just add a small amount of salt to the water to toughen the shell.

4. Another trick is to add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the water eggs are boiled in, this may also help to prevent cracking. The vinegar tends to soften the shell allowing more expansion. However they are not as easy to peel.

5. To remove the shell from a hard boiled egg, roll it around on the counter with gentle pressure then insert a teaspoon between the shell and the egg and rotate it.

6. Always cool a hard boiled egg before you try to slice it, it will slice easier and won't fall apart.

7. After you make hard-boiled eggs, never place them in cool water after they are peelsd. Eggs have a thin protective membrane that if removed or damaged and placed in water or a sealed container may allow bacteria to grow.

Toughening 'Em Up

Hard boiled eggs should never be frozen since egg white changes texture and becomes tough. When freezing fresh eggs always break the yolk. The whites can be frozen alone unless you plan on using them at the same time.

Falling Apart At The Seams

If you have problems with poached eggs breaking up, you may have salted the water. Salt tends to cause the protein to break down. Salt your poached eggs when you get them out of the water.

A lot of people as hard as it may be to believe can't boil an egg. But if you read on you'll be able to real soon. And I bet you didn't know it but eggs are just perfect for breakfast. You should always eat a good breakfast because your going to need energy later in the day. I quite often have a few soft boiled eggs and some multi grain toast for breakfast. That really is a perfect breakfast and it has helped me to be able to stick to my diet and lose weight. It's also helped me to become a lot healthier. Eggs are a great source of protein and protein is energy.

How To Make Soft Boiled Eggs

Start off by adding just enough water to a saucepan to cover your eggs and then remove the eggs. When the water is boiling slowly lower the eggs into the boiling water with a large cooks spoon. Lower the burner setting to medium heat and cook four minutes for a soft boiled egg and five minutes for a little firmer egg. Peel off the shell and eat your egg or eat it with multi grain toast.

How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs

You will want to place your eggs in a single layer in a deep sauce pan and cover with cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and time them as they cook for nine minutes. Remove them from the stove pour the water off carefully so you don't get burned and then run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Peel off the shells when cool and eat or cut up or purée in food processor for egg salad.

And now you should be able to boil eggs. And they should turn out perfect every time.

1. Egg whites contain more than half the protein of the egg and only 25% of the calories.

2. When preparing a number of omelets or batches of scrambled eggs, always wipe the pan with a paper towel dipped in table salt after every 2 - 3 batches. This eliminates the problem of the eggs sticking to the pan.

3. When frying a egg, try adding a small amount of flour to the pan to prevent splattering. You only need a pinch of flour.

4. If you store your hard boiled eggs with your fresh eggs, try adding just a drop or two of food coloring to the water you boil your eggs in and you'll easily be able to tell them apart.

5. You should know that white or brown eggs are identical in nutritional quality or taste. So there is no reason to buy the more expensive brown eggs.

6. Egg whites become firm at 145 degrees, yolks at 155 degrees. Eggs should be cooked at low temperature to guarantee a tender white and a smooth yolk.

7. When preparing any dish that calls for egg whites only such as a meringue, remove all traces of egg yolk with a Q-Tip or edge of a paper towel, before trying to beat. The slightest trace of egg yolk will affect the results.

8. The freshe the egg the better it will be for poaching. The white will be more firm and it will prevent the yolk from breaking. Make sure you bring the water to a boil and then to a simmer before adding the egg. If you stir the water rapidly before placing an egg in for poaching the eggs won't spread as much and will stay centered.

9. For the best scrambled eggs, you need to cook them slowly over a medium-low heat starting them in a cool pan.

10. The total digestive time for a whole egg is about four hours due to its high fat content.

11. Eggs will clean off utensils easier if you use cold water instead of hot water. Hot water tends to cause the protein to bind up and harden.

12. To remove an unbroken egg that has stuck to the caton just wet the carton. But if the egg has a crack or is broken throw it away.

Safety First

FDA regulations state that eggs should be refrigerated at all times during shipping and in the supermarket, however, in many instances they will be left on pallets in supermarkets without refrigeration. Best not to purchase eggs left out since the internal temperature of an egg should never fall below 45 degrees and no more than 75 percent humidity.

When Buying Eggs At The Supermarket

Always check the eggs in the carton to make sure all the eggs are loose and none are broken. If the eggs are not loose and none are broken choose a different carton.

Eggs Vs Bacteria

A soft-boiled egg should be cooked at least 3 1/2 minutes to kill bacteria if it is present. Fried eggs should have the white hard and the yolk may be soft. The internal temperature will be approximately 140 degrees. Some egg shells have been found to contain micro-cracks which allow harmful bacteria to enter. If you find a cracked egg in the carton when you get home throw it out, it is probally contaminated. Egg shells should be dull not shiny if the egg is really fresh. In really fresh eggs the yolk will hardly be visible through the white.

I know this may sound dumb to you but one of the most searched for topics on the internet today is how to boil an egg. Let me ask you a very important question. Can you boil an egg? How do your boiled eggs turn out? I know right about now you may be laughing but some people really do a problem with boiling eggs. But don't worry. By the time you finish reading this Hub Page you'll be able to make not only perfect boiled eggs but also some of the most delicious deviled eggs and deviled egg spread you've ever tasted.

And just what kind of deviled eggs can you make. How do they turn out. Do you have people coming back for more and more of your boiled eggs? I know I do all the time and I'm always trying to come up with new and exciting ways to make boiled eggs and deviled eggs. I have in fact come up with some pretty unique ways to boil eggs and make egg salad and I would like to share my recipes for boiled eggs and some pretty unique deviled eggs with you.

Lets Make Boiled Eggs

1. You really want to have fresh eggs to make your boiled eggs with. You don't want to use eggs that have been setting in your refrigerator for a week or two. Eggs that have been in the refrigerator for a week or two are going to be harder to work with making than fresh eggs will be. If your going to make hard boiled eggs always use the freshest eggs possible.

2. You want to use eggs that do not have any visible cracks. The reason for this should be obvious to everyone. If the egg has visible cracks in it you shouldn't use it because of safety reasons. A cracked egg may have been exposed to bacteria and could make you sick. Be sure to discard any cracked eggs and do not use them.

3. For your eggs to peel perfectly you want to use eggs that have been in the supermarket for 3 - 5 days. Look at the dates on the carton to determine this. If they have been in the supermarket for 10 days or longer they may not boil properly. Don't use eggs that have been in the supermarket for over 10 days or they will not boil properly and you may end up with discolored yolks.

4. As soon as your boiled eggs are done pour the water off of your eggs and cover them with crushed ice to chill down the boiled eggs quickly and they will peel very easily. Leave the eggs covered with ice for at least 10 minutes for the best results. This is the best way to peel hard boiled eggs that you'll ever find.

5. You are always best to allow your eggs to come to room temperature before you boil your eggs. This means take them out of the refrigerator and let them come up to room temperature before you boil them. If you do this it will almost always make perfect boiled eggs.

Instructions For Great Hard Boiled Eggs

You want to allow your eggs to come up to room temperature and then you will want to place the eggs in a stock pot and cover with water. As soon as the water reaches a rapid boil you will want to turn the heat off under your pot and then cover tightly with a lid.

After 17 to 20 minutes your eggs will be cooked perfectly and you can drain the water off your eggs and cover with crushed ice to cool the eggs and once covered and cooled with the crushed ice the shells will slip right off. These eggs will be easy to work with and you can make the perfect deviled eggs.

One really important thing to remember when boiling the perfect boiled egg is to slow down. If you want to boil the perfect boiled egg then you need to read the instructions carefully here on this page about how to boil the perfect boiled egg.

Using fresh eggs and bringing your eggs up to room temperature before you boil them is also very important. If you follow these very simple instructions you will end up with boiled eggs with perfectly shaped round yolks that are bright yellow like they are supposed to be and not green or greenish yellow.

The Perfect Deviled Eggs

Making the perfect deviled eggs is very easy if you use fresh eggs and follow the simple instructions above for boiling your eggs. I like to keep my deviled eggs simple but there are many delicious recipes for deviled eggs.

Simple Deviled Eggs Recipe. ( Makes about 24 Deviled Egg Half's )

Start off by boiling a dozen fresh eggs by the above instructions.

1. One Tablespoon Yellow Mustard.

2. One Tablespoon Mayonnaise.

3. One Tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish.

4. One Level Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt.

5. One Level Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper.

6. One Pinch Of Ground Cayenne Pepper.

7. Paprika To Sprinkle The Tops Of The Eggs When Your Finished.

You want to cut your peeled eggs in half lengthwise and with a teaspoon remove the egg yolks. Mix the egg yolks with ingredients 1 - 6. Use a fork to ensure that the egg yolks and all the other ingredients get very well mixed together.

When all your ingredients are very well mixed together fill your egg white half's with the mixed up deviled egg mixture. These deviled eggs are very good when made and chilled well before you eat them. I put mine in a deviled egg plate and cover the deviled egg plate with plastic wrap before I put them in the refrigerator.

You can if you wish put all the ingredients including the egg whites into a food processor and purée everything together very well. Add another tablespoon of mayonnaise if you do this. When you do it this way you make a wonderful deviled egg spread that makes wonderful sandwiches especially on fresh loaf bread.

Variations On Deviled Eggs

1. You can go the extra step and make the deviled egg spread and serve it stuffed in cherry tomatoes. If you do be sure to chill the stuffed cherry tomatoes in the refrigerator before you serve them.

2. Some people especially in the deep south like to cook several pieces of bacon crisp to the point where you can crumble it and add it to their deviled eggs mixture before they stuff their egg white shells with the mixture. You can put everything in your food processor and stuff small tomatoes for a delightful lunch with your deviled egg mixture with the bacon in it stuffed in small tomatoes.

3. You can make the deviled egg spread by the above recipe and method and mix eight ounces of room temperature cream cheese into it. You can then use this for sandwich spread or stuff either cherry tomatoes or small tomatoes with it. Add the bacon and four green onions chopped very fine including the tops to jazz up your deviled egg spread. I love it stuffed in cherry tomatoes when it's made this way.

4. Another delicious thing you can do is make the deviled egg spread with the cream cheese in it and add a tablespoon of hot pepper jelly to the mixture when your making it up. You won't believe the flavor combination you'll end up with.

5. Make your deviled egg spread by the recipe above and add eight finely crumbled saltine crackers to the egg spread when your mixing it up. The saltine crackers need to be very finely crushed or crumbled.

6. Make your deviled egg spread by the recipe above and then while it's in the food processor add in a large jalapeño with the seeds for more fire or with out the seeds for less fire. I like it with the seeds spread on pumpernickel bread for a delicious sandwich.

7. Make your deviled egg spread and while it's in the food processor add in a slice or two of thin sliced cooked ham so everything will be very well mixed together. I put this into egg whites and call it ham and eggs. Most people agree that the deviled eggs made this way are oh so delicious.

Do you have any tips or suggestions about how to make the perfect boiled egg. Why not post your comment or comments about the perfectly boiled egg below in the comment section now. And if you have any questions about how to boil the perfectly boiled egg feel free to post your boiled egg questions below now. And thanks for taking the time to read my hub page on how to boil a egg.