Tips for boiling the perfect egg

Ensuring your boiled eggs come out just the way you like them can sometimes be hit and miss.  The following tips will help you get the perfect boiled egg:

  • Use room temperature eggs as eggs straight from the fridge could crack whilst boiling, plus room temperature eggs require less cooking time.
  • Using eggs that are too fresh are difficult to peel due to the white membrane not being mature enough.  Ideally use week old eggs.
  • Place your eggs into gently simmering water ensuring that the eggs are covered by approximately 2.5cm of water.
  • Don’t add salt to the water as it raises the boiling point of the water making the egg whites rubbery.
  • Submerge your eggs in cold water to stop the cooking process.  The cold water also creates steam between the egg white and the shell, which makes the shell easier to remove.
  • A quick “eye” test if you forgot to start timing your eggs is to lift an egg from the water and if the shell stays wet, the egg is still raw. If the water evaporates after a couple of seconds you have a soft boiled egg.  If the water evaporates instantaneously you have a hard boiled egg.
  • When making devilled eggs, place the carton on its side for a day.  The yolks will centre themselves so once boiled you will have them directly in the middle of the white.
  • Overcooking causes a green layer to form around the yolk. This layer is caused by a reaction between the iron in the yolk and the sulphur in the white.
  • Cracking your egg several times all over then rolling the egg over a hard surface makes the shell come off much easier.  Shelling the egg under running water also makes removing the shell easier.