One of the things that it took me years to find out how to do correctly is boiling eggs….. I mean boiling them without getting that green layer of color on the outside of the yolk. It is important to me to have nice, bright yolks for salads and stuffed eggs, I’m glad I finally learned. Here’s how I do it.

Put your eggs in one layer in a medium to large sized saucepan. Put in enough water to cover the eggs but don’t overload the pan. If the water is too close to the top of the pan and you think it might boil over, take some of the water or even some of the eggs out. Or try a bigger pan.

Set the pan on the burner and bring the water and eggs to a rolling boil. Immediately cover the pan and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Allow the eggs to simmer for just 12 minutes for large eggs ( 11 minutes if you are using medium-sized eggs and 13 minutes if you have extra large eggs).

Remove the eggs from heat, drain off the hot water. Cover the eggs with cold water. Shake the eggs around gently in the pan to break the shells, or break them by hand one at a time. Drain off that water and add more cold water. Allow them to sit in this cold water bath for another 5 minutes before draining and peeling.

Its true that the fresher the egg is the harder it is to peel once boiled. Something about air between the albumin and the shell. Peeled eggs should be used asap. Boiled eggs with the shell left on can be refrigerated for about 5 days according to the USDA. You can make fresh eggs easier to peel by adding a pinch of baking soda to the boiling water along with the eggs.

How To Prepare Soft Boiled Eggs

I enjoy a soft boiled egg, toast and tea for breakfast. not many people know how to soft boil an egg these days though. Most people fry the egg to the soft cooked stage. I prefer boiling.

Bring your pan of water to a rolling boil. Add the eggs in the shell and cook for 5 minutes if you want a runny yolk and 7 minutes if you want a firmer, creamy yolk ( this is how I prepare them).

Serve in an egg cup or demitasse cup ( an espresso cup will do). Crack the shell with a tea spoon and eat the egg directly from the shell.

How To Prepare A Poached Egg

Poached eggs have a thick, cooked but still liquid yolk and cooked, firm white. They are delicious on toast. The vinegar in this recipe doesn’t flavor the egg, but keeps the egg white compact and from spreading all over the pan of water.

Bring a pan of water and 1/4 cup vinegar to a rolling boil. Using a large metal spoon, stir the boiling water in a circular motion, creating a small whirlpool in the water. Crack an egg into the whirlpool and allow it to spin. Remove the pan from the heat so that the water doesn’t boil so hard that it breaks the egg.  Let the egg cook 2-4 minutes depending on the doneness you want.  Remove the egg from the water using a slotted spoon and drain well.


Another way to make poached eggs:

Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it over a coffee mug, pushing the plastic down into the mug. Spray the plastic lightly with cooking spray. Next, crack an egg into the plastic. Add a drop of water. Tie the plastic up with some kitchen string and make a little pouch, leaving just a little air space. Drop the packet down into boiling water and cook for 2-4 minutes depending on how done you want the yolk. 4 minutes will give you something like a hard boiled egg.