Well, it’s that time of year again- everyone is busily preparing for their Easter celebrations, and most likely that includes boiling at least one or two pots of hard-boiled eggs! Hard-boiled eggs seem like one of those basic foods that everyone “knows” how to cook… and yet the first time I went to do it for myself I realized there was a lot more to it than simply throwing some eggs in boiled water! For example- how on earth do you prevent the annoying sticky shell syndrome, where half your egg seems to fall off with the shell? Well, luckily I’ve got a few tips to share!

*Put in a teaspoon of salt, or add some vinegar to the water. I honestly can’t remember where I heard these tips, but I have to say- this is the one I’ll probably be sticking with. The last time I boiled eggs I put in just a small amount of vinegar and a couple good sprinkles of salt- and my eggs turned out beautiful and easy to peel (I also gave them an ice bath- read on for more on that ;) ).

*Baking soda- some people swear that adding just a little bit of baking soda to your water will give you a perfect, easy-to-peel egg, but in my experience, it seems kind of hit and miss. Some of my eggs have turned out perfect, and some have clung to the shell for dear life. I’d love to hear if you’ve tried this technique and what you think about it!

*Peel them immediately. My mom always just put the the eggs back in the refrigerator as soon as they were cooked, shell and all, but apparently if you peel them before refrigerating, they’ll be a lot easier to peel. I haven’t ever done this, but maybe I should try ;). Although the salt and vinegar seemed to work just fine for me!

*Give your eggs an ice bath. Growing up I didn’t care or even notice if there was a gray ring on the yolk of my hard boiled eggs- I was just grateful to be eating one! But you don’t have to settle for less than beautiful eggs! Once your eggs are boiled, place them in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to cool them down, and this will actually help to “shock” your eggs and keep them from going gray in the center.

*Don’t use fresh eggs. Another trick to avoid that unpleasant gray ring is to use older eggs. Not only will you be getting more beautiful hard-boiled eggs, but you’ll also be using up any eggs that might have been thrown out otherwise! (Of course, use some discretion- if your eggs are already smelling bad, than you probably don’t want to use them haha ;). A good trick to know- if they float when you put them in water, they are too old and you’d better just throw them out!).

*Use a timer. This may seem like, well, duh- but overcooking your eggs is one way to guarantee that gray ring, so watch them closely and don’t cook them longer than needed!

*Some claim that the best way to get easy-to-peel eggs is to give them a “hot start”. Instead of placing them directly into the pan and then boiling the water, let the water get to bubbly boil first and then gently place them in (using a spoon or wire basket). This is something else I’ve never tried, but some swear by it!

*Make them often! Nothing makes perfect like a little practice, right? ;) Not only that, but hard-boiled eggs are a great source of protein that’s easy to prep or pack in a sack lunch (as long as that sack lunch is staying in a refrigerator!). They’re also great for egg salad sandwiches, to put on top of salads, etc; making them a handy little ingredient to have on hand for your meal plans!

Honestly, when reading more about this topic I feel that whenever I came across one tip, someone else would say that’s a horrible trick and you should definitely not use it and to use their tip instead- so I would love to hear what has worked for you! ;) I think everyone does it a little differently, which just goes to show it’s definitely not a perfect science!

So let’s hear your thoughts on these tips! What’s your special method for making the perfect, easy-to-peel, beautiful hard-boiled egg? Share with us below!