Some basic lessons fall through the cracks. You take certain information for granted until one day, you go to access it and you realize, it isn’t there.
For me, one of those lessons was how to make a hard boiled egg. When I went to college, there were a number of times I found myself in the kitchen at a standstill, lacking basics. A quick call to mom or a flip through the index of a general cookbook (this was before days of laptops and wireless internet access in kitchens) and my Cooking 101 knowledge was slowly filled in.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t until quite a bit later that I realized I had no idea how to make a hard boiled egg. My first point of reference was The New Basics Cookbook that I had received as a wedding gift. Unbelievably, it did not include instructions for cooking hard boiled eggs. Though I have made a few good recipes from the book, I must admit, I have never quite forgiven it.
The below instructions were not the first I found but they are the most foolproof. I end up with nice, yellow yolks each time. Should you find yourself without this basic lesson, I hope this helps!
How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Step 1: Place eggs in a high-sided sauce pan and fill with water at least 2 inches above the eggs. You do not want to use eggs that are too fresh like farm fresh eggs because they are harder to peel.
Step 2: Turn on high heat and keep an eye on the eggs. When they reach a boil, cover the pan and remove the eggs from heat.
Step 3: Keep the pan covered for 12 minutes. If you are using very large eggs, you may want to increase it to 13 or 14 minutes.
Step 4: Immediately remove the eggs from the hot water and put them into a bowl of very cold ice water to stop the cooking. Leave them in the cold water at least 3 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the eggs from the water and eat immediately, make egg salad, whip up some deviled eggs or store them in the refrigerator. I have read you should eat them in 5 days but I have eaten them after a week with no negative effect.
My husband often surprises me with some hard boiled egg artwork. I highly suggest being creative with your eggs. Though markings will be removed with the shell, somehow the eggs inside taste better!
