Add salt to the water? Egg white solidifies more quickly in hot, salty water than it does in fresh. So a little salt in your water can minimize the mess if your egg springs a leak while cooking.
Add salt and vinegar to the water before cooking.
The salt permeates the shell a little bit, and the vinegar helps to break down the shells, making them easier to peel.
NaCl or salt is added to the water when boiling eggs as the addition of salt or other non-volatile solid help in reducing the vapour pressure of the liquid. Which in turn increases, the boiling point i.e the temperature at which the vapour pressure equals the atmospheric pressure.
Ideally, you should wait until your water is at a rolling boil. The boiling water will agitate and dissolve the salt quickly. You can add salt to your cold water if your prefer, though. You don't want to forget it after all!
Adding salt to water does two things, it increases the boiling point and decreases the specific heat capacity. Specific heat capacity refers to the amount of heat that is required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius.
Combine salt, vinegar, and water in a large pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add eggs one at a time, being careful not to crack them. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil, and cook for 14 minutes.
In fact, it was a legendary chef (who shall remain nameless) who told me several years ago, "Don't add salt to your eggs until right before you cook them, or it will thin them out and then toughen them up." Without questioning it, I've dutifully followed his advice ever since.
We find the time saved by not tempering the eggs worth the gamble. 2. Drop the eggs into boiling water. Eggs that are added to a pot of boiling water rather than brought to a boil along with the cold water in the pot will be easier to peel.
The fresher the eggs, the harder they are to peel. This is because the egg white or “albumen” in a fresh egg has a relatively low pH level, making it acidic. When cooked, these fresh egg whites bond strongly to the inner shell's membrane.
If you're still struggling, peel the eggs under cold running water, which will help separate the shell from the egg. For a more eco-friendly solution than keeping your tap running, you can just peel the eggs in a water bath. The water will have the same effect of slipping under the shell and helping dislodge the egg.
When enough salt is added to the water, the saltwater solution's density becomes higher than the egg's, so the egg will then float! The ability of something, like the egg, to float in water or some other liquid is known as buoyancy.
Salt and acids (like vinegar) can also denature proteins in the same way heat does. Adding these substances speeds up the process by which the egg whites solidify and stops the seepage. In fact, some recipes call for eggs to be hard-boiled in vinegar and salt water to prevent the leaks from ever occurring.
Curing yolks—separating them from their whites and preserving them in salt and seasonings—concentrates that flavor and texture and takes it to the next level. The salt draws out the egg yolks' moisture, giving them a denser, harder texture that makes them easy to grate, shave, or slice.
Starting with boiling water.
If you're about to place uncooked eggs in a pot of boiling water, stop what you're doing immediately. Making hard-boiled eggs should always begin with cool water. Bringing the water and eggs up in temperature together helps promote even cooking and prevent cracking.
If you boil an egg for five or 10 minutes, it becomes firm and cooked. If you boil it for hours, it becomes rubbery and overcooked.
As soon as the water begins to boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Leave the eggs in the hot water for anywhere from 10-12 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. The 10-minute eggs will have vibrant, creamy yolks, while the 12-minute yolks will be paler and opaque, with a chalkier texture.
The rapid cooling of the eggs contracts the egg whites, releasing them from the egg's membrane. It also firms the egg white proteins, making them easier to peel. Cool the eggs for at least 15 minutes for even easier peeling.
Give Eggs Time To Cool
The quick cooling of the hard-boiled eggs causes the egg whites to contract, freeing them from the membrane. If you let them cool for about 15 minutes, the peeling is much easier.
Hard-boiled eggs can be kept for 1 week in your refrigerator. If the egg develops an unmistakable odor or slimy or chalky texture, discard it, as eating spoiled eggs can make you sick.