An Eggcellent way to Peel Eggs

I don't know about you, but over the years my ability to peel a hard boiled egg has been inconsistent at best.

There are times when I have been "in the zone" and get them peeled quickly and painlessly. Other times, the egg ends up looking less than appetizing.

I have found that few things are as satisfying as getting that perfect peel instead of just bits of egg shell everywhere.

I was very interested in the "As Seen on TV Eggstractor" but the reviews were less than stellar. Then I came across this video and knew there was a better way.



The good news is that Carol bought me an Eggstractor for Christmas and in following the directions to use the device, I figured out how the guy does it.

I don't have videotape evidence (yet), but I actually got this blowing method to work. Words can hardly describe my enthusiasm!

As midnight nears, I now have 6 eggs boiling to see if I can perfect the process.

If you want to try this at home the process is:
  1. Place large or jumbo egg(s) in large pot.
  2. Fill pot with water until eggs are covered.
  3. Add 1 teaspoon salt to water.
  4. Place on high heat.
  5. Bring water to boil.
  6. Boil water and eggs for 8 minutes.
  7. Drain hot water off of eggs.
  8. Run cold water over eggs.
  9. IMPORTANT STEP: Add eggs to bowl full of ice water.
  10. Let eggs stand in ice water for at least 10 minutes.
  11. Take egg from ice water and tap small end of egg several times on a nail tip, thumb tack or similar sharp object. (Make sure that you pierce through shell and the inner layer of skin between shell and egg white.)
  12. Crack the large end of the egg by tapping on table a few times. Make sure to fully crack large end of egg.
  13. Gently peel a small piece of egg shell from bottom of egg (large end).
  14. Make sure small end of egg is facing upward.
  15. Hold egg in one hand and blow HARD(!) through the small opening in top (small end) of egg. (It may take a few tries to get it.)
  16. Voila! The egg comes out into your other hand in one swift step.
Unless you're an especially close family, you should probably rinse the eggs after blowing on them before serving.

If you give it a try, let me know how it works.

Happy peeling to you and yours!


UPDATE: My boiling went well. 6 eggs were prepared. 5 eggs peeled perfectly. 1 blow-out for unknown reasons.

I've incorporated my lessons learned in the steps outlined above. Once you get the hang of it, this really works well. The biggest pain is waiting for the ice water. I wonder if an overnight stay in the refrigerator would work just as well?

One thing I didn't anticipate was the head rush that follows blowing 6 hard boiled eggs out of their shells. It's an interesting side effect for the middle of the night.

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