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.
Cover saucepan and bring quickly to a boil over high heat.
Immediately remove pan from heat to stop boiling. Keep lid on.
Let eggs stand for appropriate time:
EGG SIZE | SOFT-COOKED* | HARD-COOKED |
Pewee | N/A | N/A |
Small | 2.5 | 17 min |
Medium | 3 | 18 min |
Large | 3.5 | 22 min |
Extra Large | 4 | 23 min |
Jumbo | 4.5 | 24 min |
*Cooking times shown are for a medium sized saucepan.
Drain water and immediately run cold water over eggs until cooled.
Peeling Hard Cooked Eggs
Crackle shell then roll egg between your hands to loosen . Begin peeling at the large end. Hold under cold running water or dip in a bowl of water to help ease off the shell.
Tips
Use eggs that have been in the refrigerator the longest because the less fresh the egg, the easier it is to peel. Before cooking, prick large end of eggs with a pin to prevent them from cracking. Rapid cooling after cooking helps prevent a green ring from forming around the yolk. Peel eggs soon after cooking and cooling. Keep a supply of hard cooked eggs in your refrigerator for a breakfast or snack on the run. To determine whether an egg is hard cooked, spin it. If it spins round and round, it is hard cooked. Use hard cooked eggs within one week.