A friend suggested I add an item to my blog menu; Weird Little Problems. When I find the patience to sort through the latest changes in WordPress, I’ll do that. Meanwhile, there’s this one – egg trouble, or shall I say MORE egg trouble.
There’s something about weird little problems that give me a boost of creativity, or cause me to lose my shit – rarely both. But this is one of those times. I’ve had problems with eggs before. I wrote my first blog about Eggs Trapped in a Berndes Pan over three years ago. A lot has changed since then. And a lot hasn’t.
Although I have a beautiful life and much I could be writing about, I’m not inspired by that today because….
And I have a big temper with small things. These days I’m married to a wonderful man, a thoughtful and methodical engineer who loves my deviled eggs. I make them often, and pretty much every week since the pandemic. We’ve been working very hard to merge our households into one and looking forward to our little protein snacks. As I was making the eggs for the third time in our new home, I broke down. For the third time, I couldn’t get the shells off without pitting the eggs!
Husband asks how its going and I say I want to throw the f@#$ing eggs against the wall. He calmly suggests we “Google” tips on how to boil eggs so that they peel easily. I bark that it’s the same recipe I’ve been using for 15 years (Cousin Judy’s Deviled Eggs from a book my Mother gave me. It’s on page 21 of Debbie Moose’s book of “simple to sassy” Deviled Eggs and the secret ingredient is Old Bay Seasoning.)
Still calm and logical, Husband offers to lead me through a discussion on variables that have changed, potentially impacting the eggs. I’ve had enough statistics to know my patience won’t last. I still want to throw the eggs and I’d rather just bitch because multiple variables have changed. I threw out my trusty copper pot because it was too 80’s and down-sizing was in order, so it had to go. I only used it to boil eggs, after all. I’ve also gone from an electric to gas stove. On a good day, I’m not afraid to light it. The fridge is brand new, so maybe the eggs were colder, etc., etc.
He let me whine on as I finished peeling and stuffing the eggs. I used twice as much mayo in the stuffing because I deserve it, damn it! I swore that I was going to blog about it, I was so frustrated. Then he told me they were delicious. I feel better now.
Have you ever had trouble producing good results on something you’re pretty good at? If you have any tips on peeling eggs, I’d love to hear from you. Don’t bother sending me any URLs, because Husband already did that!
ARTISTIC PENSION 
Bring the water to a boil first. Then, using a slotted spoon, gently place the eggs into the pot of water. (see below for why this is the “trick”). The water will lessen its boil as the eggs are cold, but it will quickly return to a full boil. Immediately set your timer for 6.5-7 minutes for soft boiled or 8 minutes for hard boiled. When the timer goes off, immediately drain the pot of hot water and submerge the eggs in very cold water. If you have a boil of ice water ready you can put them into it, but I usually just run very cold water from the tap over the eggs and drain the pot several times.
So the “trick” here is placing the cold eggs into a pot of boiling water vs. putting eggs in the water and then bringing it to a boil. The “science” is something about the eggs will pull away from the wall of the shell if dunked into boiling water vs. they won’t if put in cold water that is brought to a boil.
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Thanks for the tips, Betty. I will try both putting them into the water after it has started boiling and keep a bowl of cold water handy for when they are finished. The eggs are definitely getting over-cooked.
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Honestly, I think it’s just a matter of how the kitchen gods are feeling that day. I’ve heard that the age of the eggs has something to do with it… but I’m not sure which is better: young or older. The good news is that your yummy deviled eggs probably taste the same no matter how they look… and a little extra mayo never hurts!
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Amen to the theory of kitchen gods! I usually use the older eggs because I heard that fresher ones didn’t work as well. But who really knows how old the eggs are, unless you have your own chickens. BTW, I must admit to always adding extra mayo!
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Oh Tracey, this made me laugh!! I think we’ve all been there. I truly believe it’s the age of the eggs. Don’t use the ones you just bought, use the older ones in the fridge. After they are cooked I crack them and run them under cold water. And sometimes that works!
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I’m glad you related to this. Was feeling like quite the failure yesterday. I always try to use old eggs, but they’ve been getting over-cooked. Perhaps the cold water submersion wasn’t cold enough to stop the cooking. Could it be all this high 90’s temperature we’ve been having lately? Cold water from the tap seems tepid.
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This is laugh-out-loud funny. We’ve all been there!! Whether it’s peeling eggs or some other task we’ve successfully done 100 times before, sometimes NOTHING works.
One time I opened a new Kleenex box and the entire lid ripped in a very unsightly manner. Ever since, my husband has rushed to open any new box of Kleenex that we purchase. Seriously!
BTW – Your deviled eggs look absolutely delicious!
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I’m so please people are relating to this and find it funny. We did have a good laugh later on. You’ve given me an idea for getting out of certain household chores….do them incorrectly!?
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OMG, I feel your pain and I laugh as I read.
I use my pressure cooker to hard boil eggs. This usually (note: USUALLY) makes them easier to peel but best done while they are still warm. And I find if you start peeling at the air pocket part, that helps too.
But every once in a while nothing helps. Have you ever seen already peeled and hardboiled eggs at the grocery store. Every time I see a package of some I wonder how they “cracked” (sorry) the secret of perfectly peeled eggs…
Deb
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Tracey, this sounds like a set from Mrs. Mazel! I can just picture her screaming “F#@%ing Eggs”! Thanks for the laugh.
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Oh, that’s quite a compliment. I love Mrs. Mazel!
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I think it’s the cursed year we’re having. I’ve given up on trying anything new until next year. I know boiling eggs isn’t new for you, but who’s to question what this year will bring? 🥴
On the husband front, I can relate. Mine tries to be so encouraging with ideas when I have a failure but I usually wish he’d just be quiet!!
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It has been a cursed year. I suppose I should be thankful for my health and well being and not so upset about ugly eggs! My husband is a prince, but I admit I did tell him to leave me alone for a few minutes!
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I sat here shaking my head in agreement (solidarity?) throughout your tale. Even though my lovely bride is a fabulous foodie, I’m the hard-boiled egg expert in our home. Hers for whatever reason nearly always stick to the shell, while mine don’t. Well, that’s only because I “hide” the ones that do stick, so she thinks I have a better track record than I actually do. But my secret, as it were, is after boiling, I have them soak in ice for a good 30-45 minutes before peeling the shell. That seems to work for me. Your deviled eggs look delicious! – Marty
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Thanks Marty. I think a longer ice bath may be the critical missing link.
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Too funny and I can so relate. I haven’t made deviled eggs in probably 6 months because of this peeling problem. I try to use ‘old’ eggs and have tried different boiling methods … all to no avail. It’s as if it’s up to the kitchen Gods. Glad to know I’m not alone!
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I’m getting lots of tips on how to do it better, but the consensus seems to be to blame it on the eggs not us!! Tracey
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This post cracked me up literally! I hate peeling eggs. I love devilled eggs and egg salad and potatoe salad and I almost never make them. WHY? Because peeling eggs makes me lose my shit! I have tried every “variable” but there is always 2 out of 6 that don’t peel. My understanding engineer usually offers to do those ones for me!
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I’m glad you were “cracked” up! I love all those things too, and eggs in general. After 2 weeks, I’ve tried to make peace with eggs because my engineer wanted a souffle for breakfast. Alas, I had trouble separating the yolk from the eggs. It still tasted good, though.
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It’s funny as I didn’t actually like eggs for many years except for those 3 ways. I still only enjoy eating them at home where ng engineer has cooked them to my perfect level of doneness. Ah the blessings of life with an engineer as I am sure you know.
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I think eggs have a mind of their own when it comes to peeling.
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I think you are right! Some of the tips offered up in the comments have helped me though!
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