Whether hard- or soft-cooked, this method is incorrectly called boiled eggs. Although the cooking water must come to a boil, eggs should NOT be boiled because high temperatures make them tough and rubbery.

• Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan.
• Add enough water to come at least one inch above the eggs.
• Cover and quickly bring just to a boil.
• Turn off heat. Remove pan from burner and let eggs stand, covered in the hot water about 15 minutes for Large eggs, 18 minutes for Extra Large, and 12 minutes for Medium.
• Immediately run cold water over the eggs, or add ice cubes to the cold water until completely cooled. This will prevent a greenish ring from forming around the yolk.
• Remove eggs from the water and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

A greenish-gray ring may appear around a hard-cooked egg yolk. It's unsightly, but harmless. The ring is caused by a chemical reaction involving sulfur (from the egg white) and iron (from the egg yolk), which naturally react to form ferrous sulfide at the surface of the yolk. The reaction is usually caused by overcooking, but can also be caused by a high amount of iron in the cooking water.

Eliminate the ring by avoiding overcooking and by cooling the eggs quickly after cooking. Run cold water over the just-cooked eggs or place them in ice water (not standing in water) until they have completely cooled. Then refrigerate the eggs in their shells until you're ready to use them. Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be refrigerated up to one week.

Peeling Hard-Cooked Eggs:
Keep in mind that the fresher the egg, the harder it is to peel. Try to buy your eggs a week to 10 days in advance of cooking them. Fresh eggs are more difficult to peel after hard-cooking. The air cell that forms between the shell membranes as the egg ages helps to separate the shell from the egg. Some new research suggests that yolk centering may be better if eggs are stored small- end up for 24 hours before hard-cooking. Piercing the shell BEFORE cooking may also make peeling easier.

Remove the shell after the eggs are cool. Thoroughly crackle the shell all over by tapping gently on a table or counter top. Then roll the egg between your hands to loosen the shell. Start at the large end and peel off the shell. Hold egg under running cold water or dip in a bowl of water to help ease off the shell.

Other:
Try a method of no muss or fuss with deviled eggs that is so simple, even beginning cooks can master it easily. To tote deviled eggs to a picnic or tailgate party, place all ingredients for the deviled eggs in a sealed food storage bag. Place egg whites in a separate sealed container. Knead all the filling ingredients until smooth and well blended. Transport on ice or coolant in a cooler, along with the egg whites, and assemble on the spot. Simply snip off a corner of the bag with a scissors and squeeze to refill the whites, just as if you were using a pastry bag.   Deviled Eggs With Legs

Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be refrigerated up to one week. Hard-cooked eggs out of the shell should be used immediately.

Easy Steps to Hard-Cooked Eggs (Printable Brochure)

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