Yahoo Lifestyle The Genius Egg-Peeling Trick We Wish We'd Known About Sooner
There’s nothing worse than boiling a batch of eggs only to have the shells stubbornly cling to the cooked whites, tearing chunks of egg along with them. Not only is it frustrating (and wasteful), but it can also ruin the look of your eggs—a minor inconvenience if they’re destined for weekday snacks, but a major disappointment when making deviled eggs or prepping food for a party.
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Thankfully, we came across a clever hack circulating online that promises to save those precious eggs—and your sanity. Instagram content creator Melissa Johnson (@bestfriendsforfrosting) recently shared an easy and effective trick for peeling hard-boiled eggs.
Instagram users are calling this hack a “game changer” and “genius,” with many eager to try it out. One commenter summed it up perfectly: “The most frustrating thing about peeling an egg is when it doesn’t peel, so I cannot wait to try this!”
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The Egg-Peeling Trick You Need in Your Life
Johnson’s method involves a simple but game-changing step: before boiling, use a spoon to tap the wider end of each egg to snap the inner membrane. The idea is to loosen the membrane just enough to separate it from the shell during cooking. You’ll know you’ve done it right when you hear a satisfying “snap.” According to Johnson, the wider end of the egg contains a small air pocket, which makes it easier to break the membrane and disconnect it from the shell.
Once boiled, the peels come off effortlessly, leaving smooth, intact eggs. Some commenters on her post added their own tips, with one recommending tapping both ends of the egg for even better results. Another commenter swears by adding a pinch of baking soda to the boiling water, claiming it sometimes makes the eggs “self-peel”!
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Does the Egg-Tapping Trick Really Work?
From personal experience, I can confirm that tapping the shell plus the ice bath technique works wonders (and I've tried all the tricks out there from vinegar to using older eggs!). When you combine both, you’re practically guaranteed perfectly peeled eggs every time. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, it's certainly worth taking a crack at it to see what works for you (you're welcome).
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Courtney Hill, director of recipe testing for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, had a few additional tips for helping ensure that your egg-peeling goes smoothly. She explains that temperature is a critical factor when it comes to egg-peeling success. Hill advises starting with cold eggs, dropping them into boiling water, and cooking for exactly 9 minutes for firm yet slightly soft yolks. The key step? Immediately transferring the eggs to an ice bath for 3 minutes before peeling. This sudden temperature change shocks the eggs, helping the shells slip off with ease.
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