Hacks That Will Make Boiling Your Eggs So Much Easier

When it comes to anything food-related, fresh is always best, right? Well, not in every instance. Some things are better with a bit of age on them, like fine wines, ripe cheeses, and eggs. Yes, eggs! In his classic “On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen,” food scientist Harold McGee advises that “the best guarantee of easy peeling is to use old eggs!” (Yes, he uses the exclamation point and everything, so obviously, he has strong feelings on the subject.) The reason for this is that the albumen of older eggs has a higher pH, which causes it to cling less tightly to the shell membrane once the egg has been cooked.

This is all very well and good, but as Wired points out, eggs are getting fresher and fresher these days as our food supply chain becomes more efficient. Both artisanal eggs and the plain old factory-farmed supermarket kind are practically whisked right from the nest to store shelves without much ripening time. Luckily, McGee has a simple solution for this: He suggests adding half a teaspoon of baking soda per quart of water used to boil the eggs, although it might make them taste a tad like sulfur. Eggs are already on the sulfurous side, though, so you may not notice much difference in flavour.

Vinegar may help keep your eggs intact.

The one problem with using older eggs for boiling is that while their higher, more alkaline pH makes them easier to peel, it could also make them more prone to cracking. How can you fix that problem? The Survival Freedom website suggests adding a small amount of vinegar to the cooking water. It is to be noted that the vinegar won’t actually prevent the eggshell from developing cracks as it cooks. Instead, it will work on the albumen inside the shell, strengthening it so that if the shell does crack, the egg white will stay inside the sac instead of spilling out into the boiling water. The vinegar also helps the egg whites to congeal more quickly, and a congealed white is not a leaky white.

You can use any type of vinegar for your egg water, and lemon juice will work as well. But distilled white vinegar is bound to be the cheapest option. As for the amount you’ll need, they suggest two teaspoons per cup or about three tablespoons per quart. (2 tablespoons + two teaspoons if you want to adhere to the exact ratio.) Do not, however, let your eggs sit in the vinegar water after you’ve finished cooking them, as vinegar will eventually dissolve the shells. Instead, remove the eggs from the hot water (a slotted spoon will help with this) and let them sit in a cold-water bath to help loosen the shells before peeling.