How to peel a hard-boiled egg?

I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble

A few weeks ago I fancied a hard boiled egg over a soft one. I think most of the white came off with the shell when I was peeling it. What a mess.

Thank you for the tips.

After they've become cold enough to handle after dropping them into cold water, a gentle tap or three & then I only use my fingers/thumbs. Then a final rinse to get any v.tiny remaining bits off. No need for any utensils/tools.

When we kept hens, I was determined to find a way to peel h.b.eggs easily - and without destroying the egg!
I let the boiled eggs cool, preferring ones that are not completely cold. Then, whack each end of the egg on a hard surface to crack the shell, which also releases the fine membrane that holds the egg against the shell. Once the ‘ends’ are broken and removed, the egg is very easy to peel without sharp eggshell poking your fingers or sticking to the egg.

1) Boil eggs
2)Drain saucepan and add cold water (twice)
3) Leave in the cold water to cool
4) Remove egg and applying pressure crack it and roll it under flat of hand to break the shell
5) Pick shell off, any difficulty hold the egg in the saucepan of cold water and the shell will easily come away.

P. S. Older eggs part with their shells and membranes easier than fresh eggs, the reason being that the older the egg the more moisture it will have lost. For this reason, ideally soft boiled eggs are best when at least 2 weeks old when they will peel easily. With newly laid eggs the membrane sticks to the egg white because no moisture has been lost.

Agreed. The fresher the egg, the harder to peel. Many years of experience has taught me thus.

I read that fresh eggs have such a thin shell that they are hard to peel. Older eggs have time for shells to harden thus easier to peel.

I cool the eggs in cold water then lightly tap them round the middle. Then ‘squash’ them along the long axis, peel them under running cold tap.
Works every time.

How is this fair? my quote was deleted but others are left to stand. I have contacted gransnet but have had no reply…

it would not be because of you, it's just because you quoted the person but I have no idea why they haven't deleted them all

My Mum always put the boiled eggs in cold water then rolled them on a hard surface before peeling.

JaneJudge

it would not be because of you, it's just because you quoted the person but I have no idea why they haven't deleted them all

Exactly, and they still have not replied to me…

After cooling in cold water I put the egg in a smallish glass, fill with water, hand over top & shake wildly until shell ‘shatters’. Water gets under the shell and it then slips off quite easily. (99% of the time!)

Marmight this is rather like my friend and her jam-jar method.
She rinses after shaking.

midgey

The fresher the egg the harder to peel! Use older eggs for hard boiling.

Really? That could explain why I have great difficulty peeling some eggs while others are a breeze. Thanks for that.