This might go down as the dumbest question in the history of egg eaters.
After all the years I've been cooking, I still cannot figure out why hard boiled eggs peel so nicely sometimes while others, I'm picking miniscule fragments for an eternity

My gag reflexes are hyper sensitive to shells in my salads. One crunch and I'm finished.

Mostly it depends how fresh the eggs are. The fresher the egg, the harder they are to peel as a rule. Something to do with tiny amounts of air eventually making its way under the shell in slightly older eggs, making them easier to peel.

So I usually keep eggs in my fridge for a week or so at least before using them for hard boiling.

The fresher they are, the harder they are to peel.

Try putting some aside for at least a week, for hard boiling purposes.

Funny...I was pretty sure you'd be one to answer!
Thanx Luke.
So - is there nothing I can do?

I wondered if it had anything to do with setting them into cold water and bringing to a boil vs dropping into boiling water right off.

No, as I said, you just need to keep them for longer before boiling them.

Try pouring 1/4 cup of plain old white vinegar in the water when you boil them. Dear old mom taught me that one

Egg Trivia: Did you know that the 3 digit code on the carton next to the expiration date is what day out of 365 they were processed?

Like the others said, the older the egg is the easier it is to peel. When I buy eggs for hardboiling, I always buy the ones with the closer expiration date. Of course, I wouldn't buy eggs that are going to expire tomorrow but if they're going to expire within a week, I'll buy them because I go through them that quick.

I hate peeling eggs that stick and worse yet.......I cannot stand biting into a shell. When that happens, the whole egg gets tossed.......

KevinPA has a system, you might check his recipe journal. I think he boils, then cools, then heats them up again. There's a nifty gadget that I'm not sure how effective it is, you run water through it on the egg somehow and it peels the egg.. I keep thinking about getting one. Mostly for making deviled eggs "look" pretty. Instead of my crescent shaped gouges.... I'll see if I can find one for you..

Here's a picture.



Found a source too. I've bought stuff from Walter Drake before too. I've not had any problems

http://www.wdrake.com/WalterDrake/S...ctID=0000104364

I never have problems with my eggs. I poke a hole in the egg with a pin before I boil. The shell always slides of the eggs when I crack and "gently smash" it - roll it around on the counter, smashing the shell until it glides right off.

It's definitely the age of the eggs. I think that membrane gets tougher as the egg ages and it makes it possible to yank the shell off in big chunks.

Hey, that water peeler thing is spiffy looking! I wonder if it works?

Eh... save your money: http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=914763

Are we going to talk about that weird system you linked to once before, where you squeeze the egg right on out?

I don't remember this, but I just now ran across this thing:
Eggstractor
Terrible reviews. Sounds like it is just as likely to make your egg explode into shrapnel as to peel it. Someone said it should be called the Eggsploder.

Some stores sell eggs already peeled.

Vinegar helps, then an ice water bath-- peel the egg under running water from the tap.

HB eggs don't keep as long as fresh as boiling removes the natural protective coating.

Ill have to try the pin hole trick, add salt to the water so the whites won't leak out.

I have heard that unless you raise your own chickens, store bought eggs have to be sanitized, so the natural protective coating has already been destroyed. That's why you can't leave store bought eggs out at room temp like you can with home grown.

I am an egg trivia nerd (used to be a dairy buyer for a grocery store)