Mom-Friendly Meals: Hard Cooked Eggs

Tragic Sandwich

I don’t just eat oatmeal for breakfast. Even with some nuts thrown in, I need some protein to kickstart my day. And my protein of choice is eggs.

Brown Eggs

For a long time, I made hard-cooked eggs the way my mother taught me, which involved bringing them to a boil and then attempting to maintain a simmer for what I now realize was much too long a time.

No wonder my yolks kept turning that funny gray-green color.

Somewhere along the line, I acquired a copy of The New Basics Cookbook, which told me I should bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and come back 15-20 minutes later.

With this method, you still get gray-green yolks–but at least you don’t have to maintain a simmer.

At some point, I started looking for how to cook a soft-cooked egg. And do you know what I found out? That’s right, I was leaving the eggs in the hard water for way, way too long.

So here’s what I do:

  • Put eggs on counter for 20-30 minutes.
  • Put eggs in saucepan and cover with water.
  • Add a dash of salt.
  • Turn on the burner and bring the water to a boil.
  • Turn the water off and cover the pan.
  • Leave for six minutes.

That’s right. SIX minutes. Not three times that long. Six minutes.

At that point, take the eggs out of the hot water (use a slotted spoon, not your bare hands) and put them into a bowl of ice water. Put that in the refrigerator.

I usually make two or three at a time, because after more than two or three days, they get hard to peel. I put one into a small container and take it to work; once there I peel it and have it with my reheated oatmeal. Presto! Cheap, easy, delicious breakfast.

Oh, and I like brown eggs because I find it easier to see the shells if some gets into a dish I’m making. And these are local eggs from our farmers’ market. How local? About a mile and a half away, I’m told. That’s pretty local. They’re crazy expensive, but they’re delicious. And they’re not from a factory farm. I like that, too.

8 thoughts on “Mom-Friendly Meals: Hard Cooked Eggs”

  1. I have to try this method because I’ve done the whole, “leave your egg in hot water but turn off the stove” method and it didn’t cook my eggs long enough. But on the other hand I always get the gray yolks. Which I guess I’d rather have than runny, un-cooked eggs, so that’s why I still end up boiling them for a long time haha.

    1. I didn’t think six minutes would be long enough, but the yolk is cooked through–maybe not entirely dry at the very center, but still solid. Meanwhile, I still can’t figure out how to get a soft-cooked egg.

    1. I’ve never tried that–what temperature, and for how long? It’s too hot to turn on the oven right now, but I might try this in the fall!

  3. Ah, hard boiled eggs…so good and such a pain to get exactly right. I absolutely hate that gray-green yolk stuff. There are SO many “foolproof” methods out there. My favorite has always been to put the eggs in cold tap water, bring to a boil and boil for two minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for eleven minutes. Then immerse in an ice bath. This one has always worked for me – think I got it from an old Emeril Lagasse show.

    You’re so right about eggs being hard to peel after a few days. I usually peel the batch I’ve made right away and then store them in a covered container in the fridge. Works for us.

    Really love your Mom Friendly Meals!

    1. Thanks! I hope people find them useful–not so much the specific recipes (although I’m happy if people like those, too), but the approach of doing what simplifies your life and makes you feel better about how you’re doing it.

Comments are closed.