why can't the shell come off boiled eggs sometimes?

Question

Sometimes it is very hard to peel the shell off boiled eggs

Answer 1

The fresher the egg the harder to peel.

Peeling Hard-Boiled Eggs
Q: When I go to peel hard-boiled eggs, I end up with very small, messy-looking eggs, with big chunks of the white stuck to the shells. How do I get round this?

Older eggs are easier to peel than new ones. As eggs age, some of the carbon dioxide contained in the albumen escapes, reducing its acidity. Research shows that the reduced acidity helps with peeling1. The trade-off, however, is that in older eggs the yolk tends to move further from being centered. This happens because the white gets thinner and is less able to hold the yolk in place. The best compromise is to use eggs that have been stored on their sides in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days. Contrary to what you would expect, keeping them on their side results in a more centered yolk than if they are stored on end.

Boil eggs at just below the simmer for about 12 minutes (see "Boiling Eggs without Cracking the Shells"), then plunge them immediately into cold water. Once they are cooled, peel the eggs. I find it works better if they are peeled immediately, rather than being stored in the shell.

To peel them, you first need to crack the shell all over. An easy way to do this is to put the eggs back into the empty saucepan and rattle them around until the shells are cracked. Alternately, you can cup the egg gently in you hand and crack the shell by tapping it gently against the inside wall of your "impeccably clean" sink. As you rap the eggs against the sink, let it roll in you hand so that various spots get hit. In either case, don't strike the egg too hard. You want to crack the shell while trying not to damage the white underneath. Rolling the egg around between your hands helps to get the shell cracked all over.

Then peel the shell away. There is a thin skin under the shell that you want to have come off, too. Once you start to peel away the skin, it will take the cracked shell with it. Again, I find it easier to work under gently flowing water, as it washes away loose pieces of shell and helps to lift the skin as the water runs in under it.

Peeled eggs can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator. Unpeeled hard-boiled eggs will keep for about a week.

Answer 2

Use eggs that are 7-10 days old. If you don't know how old they are, you can test them: Put the egg in a bowl of water. If it sits on the bottom of the bowl, it's too fresh. If it stands on its end, it's just right. (If it floats, throw it out!)

Cool the eggs in cold water for just a minute to make them cool enough to handle. Try not to refrigerate them before you peel them. Warm eggs seem easier to peel.

It also helps to cook them gently (no vigorous boiling). Start them out with enough cold water to cover them. Some people think it's better to have the eggs at room temperature before they're put on the stove.

Also, some people add salt or vinegar to the cooking water, but we've never seen that make a difference. And some people add a bit of oil. All that seems to do is make them slippery!

Answer 3

the correct way to boil any egg (no matter the age )
start with tap water , add your egg (s) bring to a boil , remove from heat, cover and let cool / stand for as you like , soft boiled 1-minute -med -1.5 minutes, hard boiled until the water they're in is cool enough to handle the goodies , this is not rocket science ,it's been used for year's,shoulda asked mom or someother experienced egg-lover try-it u'll like it ..
p.s. no waiting period after water cool's (winking)

Answer 4

Boil or have enough water for the eggs do not overcook tem either. Also after immediately run them over cold water a few seconds or minutes then they will remove easily. And also, after or before running the cold water sit them in the cold water also a few seconds and they will fall off instantly!

Answer 5

shock 'm in cold water after boiling. If they still won't peel, they're Scottish eggs. Nothing can shock 'm.

Answer 6

As strange as it sounds, always use older eggs. For some reason the boil/peel much better than fresh eggs.

Answer 7

if after you boil them you get the cold in cold water but i know that don't always work and that is due to the freshness of the eggs fresh eggs are hard to peel.....that is why it don't always work.....

Answer 8

use a handful of salt when boiling, then, after it boils , cover the pot and let it set for about 20 mins. then douse in icy cold water, or rinse with cold water, and soak in ice water for a few minutes. that'll help your problem

Answer 9

I heard that the newer the eggs are the harder it is to peel them off.
Just make sure you dont take too old ones ^^

Answer 10

Boiled too long, or there was a pin hole in the shell & got cooked to shell.