Tips for boiling eggs?

[Libby]

Wow has it ever been a while since I've tried to boil an egg. I tried to make soft boiled eggs for breakky and well the eggwhites wouldn't come out of the shell It was a struggle but I got 75% of the whites out. Hard boiled are easier b/c they're more solid.

Anyone have tips for whenever my next adventure will be attempting to make soft boiled eggs??? (and or hard boiled eggs)

[frugalfarmwife]

The eggs can't be to fresh, they need to be at least 2 weeks old to separate more easily from the shell, gives the "skin" a chance to set and harden.

I feel your pain, lol, NOTHING worse than trying to peel an egg that's not ready!

kj

[elphaba]

Soft boiled eggs are a crap shoot at my house! I usually bring the eggs to a boil and time them for 2.5 minutes. Works most of the time.

Hard boiled eggs are easy...cover eggs with cold water, bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover the pan and let sit for 15 minutes. Then drain hot water and rinse several times with cold water. I also bang the eggs together a bit to crack a bit of the shells while they're in the cold water. The water gets under the shell and loosens it. Works every time!

Frugalfarmwife is right on the money about fresh eggs...they are a beast to peel! Use older eggs.

[wildflowerpa]

My MIL uses a spoon to peel hard boiled eggs. It doesn't seem to matter if they are fresh or older. She slides the spoon in scoopy towards the egg and just slides the shell right off. I've tried this and end up with scrampled egg chunks. lol

[Darlene]

I do mine the same way as Elphaba except mine sit 20 min, lol. I also let my peeled (but not sliced yet) ones sit in cold water while I get the shell off the rest, it helps cool down the inside so I can make deviled eggs or egg salad.

[cab54]

I plunge them (gently of course) while they're still hot, into ice water that I have ready in a bowl in the sink. Then let them set there for a few minutes in the ice water. They'll peel easy as pie.

[qtkitty]

I have not even attempted soft boiled eggs since i lived with my grandmother when i was little. She had an egg poacher thing that you sat eggs in and set it to soft or hard boil. I had a little chick cup designed to hold an egg and my gram would just pop off the top of the egg and i got a spoon and dug in sort of like its own little bowl the egg shell was.

Now if your trying to get them out of the shell i usually take mine off the burner and run cold water in the pot til the eggs are cold enough to handle and then peel. If one is being stuborn i put it under water to peel. If you can catch that little sack between the shell and the white then the shell comes off like a dream if not Grrrrr *lol*

[duckduckgoose007]

To soft boil eggs I put them in boiling water with a little white vinegar. When they come back to the boil, cook 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Take out and put in little egg cups & just cut the top off. We always make toast & cut it in strips, so we can dip in the egg. Cooked this way the yolk is soft and the white is totally cooked.
If you want a soft cooked egg, you could pouch it. Drop the egg into gently simmering water with a little spash of white vinegar. Cook till white is solid & yolk is still soft. Scoop out with a slotted spoon & serve on top of toast.
I make these quite often as my Hubby cannot have fried.
Hope this helps you out...Liz

[Libby]

We dont do the eggcups holder thingy's in this house I think I will be stuck with poached eggs if I want soft eggs. I'm definately going to try the vinegar trick though!

Thanks everyone.