Hard-boiled egg question...

[Emily_R]

Ok, I'm stumped. I make a batch of hard boiled eggs (using the bring eggs and cold water to a boil, turn off heat, let sit method), and then chill them quickly in ice water. If I eat one right away, they are perfect -- not even a hint of a green ring around the yolk. However if I then take those same eggs and refrigerate overnight, the next day, I've got a big green ring. I know this isn't a life-or-death sort of question, but it just seems scientifically puzzling. Considering the eggs are already cooled when they go into the fridge, I just don't understand what would account for this late-stage greening of the yolk...

[David A. Goldfarb]

You're not chilling them sufficiently. They may need to be chilled longer or with more ice water for the number of eggs, or you may need to change the ice water after the ice melts and use more ice water.

Edited December 8, 2009 by David A. Goldfarb (log)

[tino27]

After you bring the eggs and cold water to a boil, let them sit for one less minute? It sounds like they are continuing to cook just a bit longer after (or while) you are chilling them.

[Emily_R]

I don't see how it can be a chilling issue -- they are chilled in ice water, and are room temp or cooler when I eat the first one, which has no green ring. How can subsequent chilling past that -- further chilling once they are already at room temp -- be causing the ring?

[Anna N]

How long do you let them sit in hot water?

[Emily_R]

Around 16 minutes.

[Lisa Shock]

What size are the eggs? Medium eggs only take about 12 minutes to cook -at a simmer.

Try taking the temperature of the yolk when you eat that first one. You may be being fooled a bit by cold whites and not-so-cold yolks.

Another tip is that technically, they shouldn't go up to boiling temperature. Most sources say between 185° and 190° is ideal.

There's a chance that the reaction takes a little time to express itself via color, and you're just peeking too soon.

[Anna N]

Around 16 minutes.

For what it's worth (mine work every time) I go 11 mins for extra large and 10 for large. Bring just to a boil, uncovered and with at least an inch of water above the level of the eggs, remove from heat, cover and let sit for the given times. Immediately put under cold, running water and let cool completely. Leave in the water which should now be very cold for at least 1/2 hour. I check to make sure the water is still icy cold before turning off the faucet. I am guessing you could use ice instead of running so much water but I don't have ice available.

[mr.baconhead]

The OP's query is: why does the HB egg get a green ring after a few days... not how to HB an egg. I have the same question. I already know how to boil the perfect egg....

Edited December 9, 2009 by mr.baconhead (log)

[emilyr]

I have a feeling that the egg isn't as cool as you think when you put it in the fridge and is still cooking inside the shell closer to the yolk. The outside could feel perfectly fine, but the inside would still be warm. I'd just leave them in the ice bath or cold water until you are ready to use them or move them to the fridge (or even put them in a bowl of ice in the fridge).

And, just to be difficult, I'm not a bring-it-up-to-a-boil-and-turn-off-the-heat kind of cook either. I just bring it up to a hard simmer/low boil for 5-6 minutes and then immediately put the eggs into ice or cold running water. This bugs my mom to NO END! We actually argue over it. This summer making salads for a church dinner, Mom told me I wasn't allowed to do the eggs til she left the house!

[Nayan Gowda]

Just had a look at my Harold McGee, essentially to minimise the greening of the yolks you need to use fresh eggs, cooked as briefly as possible and cooled as quickly as possible.

The green colouration is due to the sulphur in the white reacting with the iron in the yolk in an alkaline environment (which the white is), to form ferrous sulphide.

I don't know if it is an old wives' tale (or whatever the politically correct term for that is these days), but to ensure the the eggs cool more rapidly, crack the shells before plunging them in the ice bath.

[Special K]

I don't know if it is an old wives' tale (or whatever the politically correct term for that is these days), but to ensure the the eggs cool more rapidly, crack the shells before plunging them in the ice bath.

This also makes them much easier to peel.

As for the yolk turning green, yes, you are overcooking them; it just takes the ferrous sulfide reaction a little time to manifest itself. Follow Anna N's advice and you should have no problem with the yolks turning green.

[Emily_R]

Hmmm. Interesting. I appreciate the comments and will do a test shortly -- will cook two eggs for 11 minutes, two for 13, and two for 16. Will chill all immediately in an ice bath. Will open one of each up immediately, then will refrigerate the rest and open the remaining eggs the next day to examine. My hunch is that 11 minutes will be not done enough for my taste -- I like the yolk cooked fully through, with no trace of the brighter orange / pastier consistency that comes right before that point... But we'll see!

Can you tell I'm just aching for anything to distract me from end-of-the-semester work?

Emily

[Special K]

Emily, it might turn out that you cook them differently depending on when you want them - a bit longer to eat right now, and a bit shorter if you want to refrigerate them for later. It will be interesting to see what you discover!

[PopsicleToze]

Before I add the ice water, I dump out the hot water then bang the eggs around in the pot so that they're hitting the sides of the pot and each other. This cracks them up. Then, I add ice and just a little water to get the process going. Cracking the shells first helps them cool down a lot faster and should eliminate the green ring problem.

Rhonda

[Aloha Steve]

For $10, what the heck, I gave this a try.

I have used this about 6 times now and the eggs come out good-to- perfect.

If I wait the the 2minutes after nuking (as per the directions) they are perfect.

[Sentiamo]

I never have a problem with green rings. Mine go into cold water, as soon as they come to the boil the timer is set for 6 minutes, then straight under cold running water for 20 minutes.

Works every time.

An awful waste of water though!

[Lisa Shock]

I actually use THIS egg timer and never have green rings. But, I also keep the temp down, under 190°.

[Emily_R]

Ok folks -- you were right! Overcooking, and Lisa must also have been on the mark with her explanation that the chemical reaction causing the green ring was just taking overnight in the fridge to express itself. I tried again, with the bring-to-a-boil-then-turn-off-the-heat method, boiling two eggs and leaving them in for 12-13 minutes. Iced them down immediately after. Ate one right away (once cooled) and it was cooked through and delicious. At the other egg the next day (after it spent overnight in the fridge) and... No green ring!

Thanks for the suggestions -- and for shaving several minutes off of how long it takes between wanting a hard boiled egg and eating one! :-)

Emily

[Aloha Steve]

I was recently sent this video.

"This video will share a trick for getting a hard boiled egg out of its shell

without peeling:"

My link

I wonder how it tastes ?

Any adventurer types out there feel free to try and report.

[judiu]

I was recently sent this video.

"This video will share a trick for getting a hard boiled egg out of its shell

without peeling:"

My link

I wonder how it tastes ?

Any adventurer types out there feel free to try and report.

DAYUM! That's quite a trick. If it works, it would revolutionize my deviled egg making carreer!

[Darienne]

Loved the video. DH peels hard-boiled eggs for the dogs every third day for their breakfasts. He'll love the video also.

In fact, he often puts baking soda into the water just because of the 'pain in the *ss' quality of peeling eggs. But he has never tried the blow it out the end trick.

As for me? When I do the dogs' eggs, I make them scrambled eggs which they love. Why he does the hard-boiled thing is beyond me.

They could eat them raw, but omigawd it's hard to be there while they do it.