Hard Boiled Eggs

Step 1
Place cold eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Cover with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) cold water over top of the eggs.

Step 2
Cover saucepan and bring quickly to a boil over a high heat. Immediately remove pan from heat to stop boiling. Let eggs stand in water for 12 minutes (large eggs).

Step 3
Drain water and immediately run cold water over eggs until cooled.

• If cooking more eggs, they should fit in the saucepan in a single layer.
• Add a few minutes cooking time for extra large eggs.
• For easiest peeling, use eggs that have been in the refrigerator the longest. The less fresh the egg, the easier it is to peel.
• Cool eggs quickly once cooked by placing them in cold water. Rapid cooling helps prevent a green ring from forming around the yolks.
• To peel a hard boiled egg, crackle the shell all over by tapping the egg on a hard surface, then roll the egg between your hands to loosen the shell. Begin peeling at the large end. Hold the egg under cold running water or dip it in a bowl of water to help remove the shell.
• Keep a supply of hard boiled eggs in your refrigerator for quick meals and snacks. Use hard boiled eggs within one week.
• To determine whether an egg is hard boiled or raw, spin it. If it spins round and round evenly, it is hard boiled. If it wobbles while spinning, it is a raw egg.