1.Boil the eggs. The method you use to boil your eggs can have a significant impact on how easily you'll be able to peel them. Place your eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. There should be about two inches of water over the top of the eggs. Add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the water, then bring the pan to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 12 minutes.[1]
- The bicarbonate of soda raises the pH level of the egg white, which causes it to stick less to the shell and membrane when peeling.[2]
2.Cool the eggs. Once the eggs have finished cooking, drain the water from the saucepan then refill it with cold water. You can add some ice cubes to the water, if you like. The cold water causes the egg to contract inside the shell, creating more space, which makes the egg easier to peel.[4]
3.Crack the shell at each end. Once the eggs have cooled, remove them from the water and pat dry with some paper towel. Take an egg and firmly tap each end on a hard surface, such as a counter top, to crack the shell. Do one end, and then the other.
- There is an air bubble in the wide end of the egg; once you have crushed this, the egg will be easier to peel.
- Rather than cracking the egg on a hard surface, you can use the back of a tablespoon to break the shell. One or two firm taps should do it.
4.Peel the egg. Starting at the wide end with the air pocket, begin peeling the egg, using the side of your thumb. You should remove both the shell and the white, filmy membrane, to reveal the smooth, shiny egg white underneath.[3] If the boiled egg has adequately cooked and cooled, the shell should come away easily.
