Howdy folks,

My wife and I raise about 130 chickens, both lights and heavies, several different breeds. My question is about making boiled eggs. When we boil the eggs and try to peel the shells off, the white eggs come out of the shell perfect. However, the brown eggs stick to the inside of the shell to the point of almost destroying the egg to get it out of the shell. Do any of you nice folks have any idea what we are doing wrong and what can we do to correct it.

Thanks,

Nathan (muskokie)

-- Nathan Williams (muskokie@aol.com), December 26, 1999

Answers

I used to have a few chickens myself. Sounds to me like your eggs are too fresh for boiling. Why it's affecting the brown ones more than the others I don't know. They have to be a week or so old -- maybe more before they come out of the shell well when they're boiled. We used to get around this to some extent by removing them from the boiling pot right into a container of ice water -- this does not mean from the tap -- this means really, really cold water with ice floating in it. This seems to make the white contract away from thet shell and make the shell removal easier. Hope this helps.

-- Mary(NY) (marmacz@aol.com), December 26, 1999.

Yes, I agree with Mary, ice water, we always use ice water when we boil eggs.

-- Bob Henderson (redgate@echoweb.net), December 27, 1999.

It sometimes helps to add a tablespoon or so of vinegar to the water used for boiling. Older eggs works best as pointed out. Also as pointed out cool the eggs quickly.

Now something that I do is different but works for me, even with fresh eggs. After the eggs have been cooling in the water for a while, hold each one and pierce the shell with an ice pick or sharp knife point. My theory is that the cooling egg forms a slight vacuum within the shell, and the piercing allows a tiny amount of water to enter and surround the egg, thereby releasing it from the shell. Just make sure that you have changed the water several times so it is really clean.

-- greenbeanman (greenbeanman@ourtownusa.net), December 27, 1999.

To age eggs faster so that they peel better, I leave them on the kitchen counter over night - th enext day they usually come right out. I would like more information on the difference between the white and brown eggs. Did you control for age of eggs in your data collection?

-- kirby johnson (kirby@selco.lib.mn.us), December 28, 1999.

My Grandmother taught me to take a safety pin (sterilized, of course) and poke a small hole in the fat end (if there is one) of the egg. Let them set for about a half hour. Put them in ice water with a dash of salt. The salt will make the water take longer to boil, but it helps when you go to peel the eggs. Once the water is at a rolling boil, boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs cool down naturally. This can take anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour. I usually try a few. If the white is still sticking, run the pan of eggs under COLD running water for about 5 minutes. This also helps to keep the outside of the yolk from turning green (if you are going to use for deviled eggs). Good luck!

-- Stephanie (sdwc@ivillage.com), December 28, 1999.

We had the same problem with our eggs. We found that older eggs work best but the real secret is to have the eggs at room temperature when ready to boil. Even old eggs pulled from the refrigerator did not shell good. Fresh eggs do ok at room temp. but eggs left out for 24 hrs before boiling that are 3 or 4 weeks old seem to work the best. Also we shell ours hot using that apparatus that goes on the end of your kitchen faucet. It seems to help a lot too

-- brian r (brian3006@msn.com), December 29, 1999.

No one has hit on the way I boil brown, or white eggs for that matter. I have chickens that produce brown and white eggs. I use this method for both refrigerated and fresh eggs. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, (I pour it in right from the box), add eggs and boil for how ever long you boil your eggs. I usually boil mine for about 15 minutes on medium heat. When through boiling, put the pan with eggs under cold running and when the water in the pan runs cold, start peeling as the water is running. Haven't had a ruined egg yet. I probably put a couple of tablespoons of salt in the water. Have never measured it. It does not affect the eggs. Have no idea why this works but it always has for me.

Good boiling. Alice Pyle

-- Alice Jean Pyle (jpyle1230@nettally.com), January 01, 2000.

Brown, white or blue, fresh eggs tend to stick to the shell when boiled. Here's how to make the shell turn loose. Boil the eggs for 12-15 minutes - dip them out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice and water, leave them for 30-60 seconds - dip them out of the ice water and put them back in the boiling water for 30-60 seconds - then dip them out again and put them back in the ice water - leave them in the ice water until cool enough to peel. The quick temperature change causes the shell to pull away from the egg. Works ever

-- Linda Everhart (codmolly@iland.net), January 02, 2000.

Its a bit more trouble, but it also helps to put a pin-hole in the large end of the egg, add vinegar to the water when you boil them. This also helps reduce the gray coloring of the yolk caused by oxidation, and makes your egg dishes look better without the gray.

-- Sherry (oneofthem@one-eleven.net), March 21, 2000.