How to Easily Peel Farm Fresh Hard Boiled Eggs

Peel freshly laid hardboiled eggs with ease – without baking soda, or poking holes in them.

Ever boiled up some eggs for a dish only to discover that you can’t peel them without destroying the egg? Then looked online to see an endless variety of experiments that range from trying to change the pH of the egg to poking little holes in them? Nonsense. Here are two time tested methods to easily peel hard boiled homegrown eggs, so easy they are often over looked. Are these new techniques? Nope. Just sharing it to those of you who may be struggling with this little quirk of  self-reliance.

Growing up with our own chickens these were and still are the only two methods we ever used. It took my college roommate to point out to me that I didn’t need to do this with store bought eggs because they always peeled well (because they are old).

I don’t know about you, but I do not have time to poke holes in all of my eggs with a needle or tack every time I want a batch of hard boiled ones so this is my first “go to” method.

The Hot Water Method

1. Boil the eggs with medium high heat for 12 minutes (once it starts boiling I usually dial the heat back a bit).
2. When the timer goes off immediately remove the pot of boiling water and chill the eggs by running cold water over them, or over them with ice and let them completely chill.
3. Once cooled take one hardboiled egg and hold it under hot running water (but not skin scalding hot, use your commonsense) for just a few solid moments. Do not hurt yourself.
4. Crack and quickly peel the egg. You must be quick – as the egg cools the inner membrane will stick to the egg again. You can also put a small group of eggs in a small bowl and fill it with hot water, then let them sit for a minute – just make sure to peel them quickly before the eggs start to cool.
5. Repeat.

You can even delay peeling – take them to work as a snack, run them under hot water for a few good moments at work and peel them with ease there! Occasional yes, you will hit a snag but all in all this is a quick and easy no nonsense method and I would put my success rate at about 90% or better. If shell still sticks on one, well then – I am eating that one myself!

The Cracking Method

You could also just let your eggs sit for a couple of weeks then they would peel as easily as store bought eggs. But if you don’t have room for that or if you would like enjoy your farm fresh eggs while they are still “fresh” give this simple method a try.  I have used it in the past with almost as much success as the above method.

1.  Boil the eggs with medium high heat for 12 minutes (once it starts boiling I usually dial the heat back a bit).
2. When the timer goes off immediately remove the pot of boiling water and run cool water over them – just until you can safely grab them with your bare hands. While the eggs are still warm tap them up against the pot to crack them all over, be careful the eggs are still a little soft at this point. Not just once or twice, all over – the entire egg shell should be cracked.
3. Let them cool the rest of the way in running cool water or in ice water.
4. When completely chilled select an egg and peel it. If you experience any resistance – run the egg under hot water for a few moments.

TIP: If its Easter time and you color those cracked eggs with food coloring, while they are cracked, the coloring will stain through to the egg itself leaving a cool marbled design on your hard boiled eggs.

Enjoy your farm fresh eggs any time!