"Steve Newport" <steven@newport47.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3feh43lmthdaub8h02dhf7ce5imurnaip0@4ax.com...
On Mon, 14 May 2007 19:31:31 GMT, shiver <shiver@me_timbers.com
wrote:
In article <1mdh4351npuvbbis22rgp2n64j9r5csrp7@4ax.com>, Steve Newport
steven@newport47.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
Seems to me that very fresh eggs when boiled are very difficult to
peel. The membrane doesn't like to come away easily and the white
seems to break up underneath easily.
Hey.... That's my pet peeve also.
My first pet peeve is peeling the shell and having the egg smell like
rotton eggs.
If someone could tell me how to get rid of that problem I'd be a happy
camper.
Yeah, sometimes I have found the smell a little "stronger" that I
would like or expect. Doesn't seem to come out in the flavour though.
You have two problems here:
(1) a fresh egg is hard to peel
(2) an egg that is overboiled has a strong sulfur odor.
To boil fresh eggs and have an easy time peeling them, try this:
If the eggs are refrigerated, leave them out at least long enough to reach
room temperature. A full day is better.
Put the room-temperature eggs in cool tap water, then turn the burner on
high. Bring the eggs to a boil.
Depending on the size of the eggs, continue to simmer the eggs for 5-8
minutes.
While the eggs are boiling, fill a bowl with water and ice sufficient to
cover the boiling eggs.
Once the eggs have boiled long enough to become hard boiled (you may need
to experiment with your times), scoop each egg out of the simmering water
and plunge it into the cold water. I find that a pasta ladle (like a
spoon with fingers) works well. Leave the water simmering.
Once you have cooled all the eggs, return them to the boiling water. This
will loosen the "skin."
Return the eggs to the ice water. This stops the cooking process and
prevents the sulfur smell (and the green ring you get with _really_
overboiled eggs).
They should be ready to peel.
Using this method, fresh eggs will still be a bit harder to peel than,
say, 2-3 month old eggs, but much easier than if you didn't do it.
