Easter, one of the biggest driving forces behind egg sales, is coming up fast and what says "Easter" better than hard boiled and beautifully dyed eggs? So the egg hunt is over, you bring all of the eggs inside and begin to peel them for deviled eggs or another delicious purpose and -- disaster. Either, in the process of peeling away that robin's egg blue shell, the creamy egg white sticks to the shell and is destroyed along with your patience OR you manage to peel the little bugger and instead of a bright orb of sunshine at the center, your yolk is gray and sickly and definitely not what you want to show off at brunch. How to avoid all of this tragedy? Here's a how-to on the perfect hard boiled egg...
Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
1 dozen eggs
Salt
Optional, white vinegar
First things first, start with old eggs. That's right - buy your eggs for Easter now (or within the next few days) and let them sit in your refrigerator. The newer the eggs, the more difficult they will be to peel once boiled.
It's next week and you're getting ready for a serious egg-dyeing extravaganza. Keep in mind that if you choose to boil in advance, hard boiled eggs will happily keep in the fridge for 5 days.
Start with a large saucepan or pot. Place your eggs in the bottom, as many as will comfortably fit, with a little bit of room between each egg. Add enough water to cover the eggs by an inch or two, add 1/2 teaspoon salt (and optionally, 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
As soon as the water reaches a rolling boil, remove from heat and cover for 12 minutes. As soon as your timer goes off, strain off the hot water, place the eggs in a colander and run under cold water until they are cool enough to handle at which point you can peel them right away or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
