Perfect Easy-Peel Hard Boiled *FRESH* Eggs

You know how hard it is to peel eggs when they're boiled from fresh eggs right? You lose a big part of the white along with the shell. The funny thing is, the eggs in the store aren't even that fresh. They're usually a week or two old, at least. So we had an extreme dilemma when our pullets started to lay. Even when I let eggs sit in the fridge for 4 weeks, when I boiled them the traditional way they were still impossible to peel. I've read about swirling them in a pan of water after boiling to crack them all over and peel easily. I never tried it but I didn't want all of the eggs peeled at once. I was about to buy a set of Eggies when I read about this trick at backyardchickens.com. I have been hard boiling eggs within days of them being laid and sometimes on the same day they're laid and it has, so far, never failed me (knock on wood).

1. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. I usually have a dozen or so sitting on the counter that have never been put in the fridge so I don't know how long it takes for refrigerated eggs to come to room temp. Maybe 30 minutes or so?

2. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs. Don't put the eggs in the pot at this point. If you have a basket that will fit in the pot and still allow the eggs to be completely submerged in the water, use that and put the eggs in it while the pot of water boils. So anyway fill the pot and bring it to a boil.

3. Once the water is boiling, gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. It's easiest with a basket or you can use a ladle. I don't think it would end well if you drop them in by hand.

4. Cover the pot and lower the heat a little. With my stove the water stays boiling after I add the eggs. I have one burner that has a "power boil" feature so I don't know if it would stay boiling or come back to a boil quickly on a stove without this feature. Let the eggs simmer for about 13 minutes. note: since I use a basket that has a handle, the cover doesn't fit tightly. It doesn't seem to matter.

note: larger eggs may take longer than 13 minutes. Ours are probably just a little smaller than the large eggs at the store. 

5. When there's about 2 minutes left on the timer, I let the water run in the sink until it's really cold, and fill a bowl with it. Put some ice in too. You want the water REALLY cold.

6. After the 13 minutes is up, take the eggs out of the boiling water and put them right into the icy water. This is where a basket really comes in handy. If you don't have a basket it might be quicker to drain the eggs completely and then dump them in the bowl of water. Just do it quickly.

7. Let eggs sit in the ice water for at least 5 minutes.

And that's it. This egg was laid, boiled and peeled all in the same day. Even after they've been in the fridge for a few days they're just as easy to peel.