At this time, there are many questions about eggs every year. Readers ask how to hard boil them, how long raw eggs keep, why yolks have a green tinge, and how long boiled eggs keep.
All egg-laying (sorry, I couldn’t resist) questions.
And of course there are plenty of answers.
My brother Vince uses his air fryer regularly, including to make hard boiled eggs. Using the air fryer, he says, is easy and takes 15 minutes. While the phrase “don’t put your eggs in a basket” may be good advice, in the case of using an air fryer, you should load it.
When I make hard-boiled eggs, my friend Jim swears by piercing a tiny pinhole in one end of the egg before cooking. This, he says, ensures you don’t get that green tinge — a sign of a chemical reaction that occurs when overcooking — around the yolk.
Egg prices soar at Easter and Passover due to bird flu and inflation.This is how you save.
If you are interested, here are some tips on eggs before Easter and Passover. At Easter, eggs are boiled, colored and hunted. On Passover, many dessert recipes often use eggs instead of traditional leavening agents like flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Here are some more egg tips and answers to frequently asked questions:
- Storage: The U.S. Department of Agriculture says eggs can be kept in the refrigerator for three to five weeks after purchase. Boiled eggs should be consumed within a week.
- cooking method: In culinary language, the correct term for boiling eggs in the shell is “hard boil”. Most sources say that eggs should not be rushed because you risk overcooking them. But I’ll stick with “hard-boiling” because that’s the term most people use and are familiar with.
- Boil: Some sources recommend starting eggs in boiling water because, among other things, they’re harder to peel if you start them in cold water. But other sources say cold water is best because it heats the egg more slowly and gently, and the albumen sticks to the membrane more than it does to the shell. Both methods work perfectly.
- Peeling: To make peeling easier, it’s best to buy eggs at least a week to 10 days after cooking to give them some breathing time to take in air. As the protective coating on an eggshell wears away, the shell becomes porous and absorbs more air. This makes the white more acidic and less attached to the inner membrane; it also shrinks. As the eggs shrink, the air space between the eggshell and the membrane increases, making the eggs easier to peel. Another shelling tip is to immediately shock the eggs in ice water to stop the cooking process.
Here are two of my favorite ways to hard boil eggs
- Boil: Put the eggs in a saucepan where they can wiggle a bit. Add water to cover at least 1 inch and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat, cover the pan and set the timer for 15 minutes (for large eggs). You can take one out, peel and slice to check. Immediately shock in ice water to stop cooking and leave the eggs in the cold water for a good 10 minutes. Once cool, peel the eggs or store the eggs in a bowl in the fridge.
- Steaming: This is my go-to method. It turns out perfect eggs every time. When you steam eggs, they cook more gently than boiled. It’s also a quick method because you use less water and don’t have to wait for it to boil. For steaming (see video), fill a pot with 2.5 cm of water. Place the steamer basket in the pan. Heat the water on high until it boils and you see steam. Place the eggs in a single layer in the bottom of the steamer basket, reduce the heat to medium and cover the saucepan. For large eggs, set the timer for 15 minutes. Take out an egg, hold it under cold water, peel it and check it. When done, immediately shock the eggs in cold water or ice water for 10 minutes. Then peel.
Eggs with tarragon devil
Makes: 12 / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallots or green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup regular or reduced-fat sour cream
- 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash of hot chili sauce, optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Peppers, optional
Instructions:
Halve the eggs lengthways. Place the cooked egg yolks in a medium bowl and mash with a fork. Set the egg white halves aside.
Add the shallots and tarragon to the egg yolks and mix. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, garlic powder, hot chili sauce, salt and black pepper. Mix until slightly smooth.
Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle the tops with paprika if you like.
Chef’s note: If the mixture isn’t creamy enough for your taste, add more mayonnaise to taste. Adjust the spices to suit your taste as needed.
Written and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
43 calories (50% of fat), 2 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 2 grams carbohydrate3 grams protein84mg sodium93mg cholesterol20mg calcium0 grams fiber.