How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

The secret to making a perfect hard boiled egg is to use an egg that is several days old, according to Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking. If you boil fresh eggs, they might be difficult to peel. 

Did you wait to the last minute to buy eggs this Easter?  A workaround can be to steam fresh eggs for 20 minutes, which should produce hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel. 

Directions to make perfect hard boiled eggs

1 Cover eggs in a pan by at least an inch or two of cold water.  If you put them directly into hot water, they may crack.  If you add a pinch of salt to the water, that should also help prevent cracking and make the eggs easier to peel. A tablespoon of vinegar will help keep the egg whites from running out of any eggs that crack.

2 Put the burner on the highest setting and bring the water to a boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds.

3 Reduce the heat to low, place the pan back on the burner and let simmer for one minute. 

4 After a minute cover the pan, remove it from the heat and let sit for 12 minutes. 

5 Remove eggs and place in cold water. This step can be repeated if eggs have not cooled.

6  They are done!  Hard boiled eggs should be eaten within 5 days.