Hard-boiled Eggs

Happy Easter, everyone. I made this piece of artwork in my digital painting class. It makes me smile.

Easter is a Christian holiday with a hint of bunnies, eggs, and chocolate, none of which fit together or make sense in light of the actual event which incited the occasion. However, I will not discourse at length on that. What I know of religion could fit in the head of a pin. 

I have had the urge lately to share something useful in this blog. At a certain age, you hope you’ve learned a few practical things along the way. So between my recent impulse and the Easter celebration, hard-boiled eggs came to mind. 

Remember potlucks? Whenever I showed up with devilled eggs, fellow partygoers oohed and aahed at my dexterity. I’m told most people struggle with getting the pesky shells off the eggs. Did you know it’s possible to prepare perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs where the shell literally slips off, and you can do this without owning an Instant Pot? You just have to be quick. 

I do own an Instant Pot, and although I don’t understand the science—eggs steamed in the Instant Pot are a breeze to peel, even when they’re cold and left in the fridge with the shells on. I’ve experimented with this cooking method, but returned to my tried-and-true technique. Because with the Instant Pot, I’ve never defeated the dastardly purple ring around the yolk. See Explanation for Step 3 below. 

Explanations

Step 1. I’m not sure why I put a teaspoon of vinegar in the water. It doesn’t help with the smell, but I’ve always done it, so why mess with perfection? 

Step 2. Flipping the eggs over halfway through cooking ensures the yolk hardens in the centre, which makes devilled egg preparation simpler. 

Step 3. Cookbooks often refer to this as a ‘cold bath.’ It’s how you avoid the purple ring around the yolk. The purple ring may compliment the yellow-coloured yolk, and it’s eye-catching, but it is utterly unappetizing. 

Step 4. The pointy end of the egg has an air bubble. Crack lightly there and then on the sides—just enough to fracture the shell all around. When you return them to the cold water still in the shell, it makes the eggs drop-dead easy to peel. 

Step 5. Now you must act quickly, before the membrane inside the shell cools and tightens up. Too cool, and they will be hellish to peel. That’s why I do six eggs at a time—to get them peeled before the chill sets in. I like to keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for snacking. But I don’t want the fart every time the fridge door opens, so I store them in an airtight container. Additional tip—wrapping the eggs in a paper towel absorbs their weeping. 

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