Salting the Water For Hard-Boiled Eggs

[Porthos]

This weekend at a gathering where we were cooking al fresco I put eggs boiling. A friend asked if I had salted the water. I said no. I mentioned it to my wife and she said she always salts her egg water.

I've been boiling up multiple batches of 5 dozen eggs for years, and since I insist on aging the eggs, get easy-to-peel eggs that taste just the same as when my wife boils eggs.

So my (rather obvious) question is: Who in eGulletland salts their egg water and who doesn't and can you tell me why?

[heidih]

It just never occurred to me to salt the egg water. If I am hard boiling them it is generally for deviled eggs or into a salad that will have plenty of salty ingredients. A soft boil will getting a generous sprinkle of coarse salt when eating.

[Porthos]

The eggs I'm doing are for either: Direct eating and served with salt; Deviled eggs; or Egg salad that will be salted.

[FrogPrincesse]

I always do - that way they can be eaten as is with no additional salt needed.

[gfweb]

I have a hard time seeing salt penetrating a shell and seasoning an egg during an 11.5 minute boil. Testing is required.

[runwestierun]

I have a hard time seeing salt penetrating a shell and seasoning an egg during an 11.5 minute boil. Testing is required.

I haven't salted my egg water but I can speak to shell permeability. We never use soap to wash the eggs from our henhouse because even just a couple seconds' exposure means the eggs taste soapy.

[dcarch]

I have a hard time seeing salt penetrating a shell and seasoning an egg during an 11.5 minute boil. Testing is required.

I haven't salted my egg water but I can speak to shell permeability. We never use soap to wash the eggs from our henhouse because even just a couple seconds' exposure means the eggs taste soapy.

It will also depends on temperature changes.

When you boil an egg, you will notice very tiny bubbles coming out from the shell, that is air expanding.

When the egg cools down the air inside the egg will contract, drawing in liquid around it.

dcarch

[Beebs]

My husband always salts the egg water for hard boiled eggs. He says it makes it easier to peel. I almost never salt, for no other reason than forgetfullness/laziness/just don't bother. I haven't noticed a significant change in peeling ease, but then I've not done a side-by-side comparison either.

[SylviaLovegren]

We need McGee or someone for this. I've had a lot of bad peelers lately and I heard that salting the water helped that (something about changing the ionization of the solution so the egg wouldn't stick to the shell which I've probably remembered all wrong anyway) but I haven't noticed any difference. Also didn't notice any difference in the taste of the egg.

[Darienne]

We need McGee or someone for this. I've had a lot of bad peelers lately and I heard that salting the water helped that (something about changing the ionization of the solution so the egg wouldn't stick to the shell which I've probably remembered all wrong anyway) but I haven't noticed any difference. Also didn't notice any difference in the taste of the egg.

It's adding baking soda to the water to make the eggs peel more easily.

[LT Wong]

I have never thought about salting the water, because I will use older eggs for preparing hard boiled eggs. I may try testing salting the water to see if the peeling is easier for fresher eggs.

[Broken English]

In the latest Lucky Peach, McGee's article is all about the science of peeling eggs. The easiest eggs to peel are ones with higher PH levels (9 or so from memory), which comes from being aged. I don't have a copy with me, so I can't give specifics, but that was the general theme of the article.

[DianaB]

I've always salted, believing this prevented any cracked eggs from leaking too much. No doubt this is wrong, just the way I've always done it! I understood that older eggs were the easiest to peel when hard boiled, I seem to remember reading this years ago in a book on eggs by Albert Roux.

[liuzhou]

I've always salted, believing this prevented any cracked eggs from leaking too much.

That was what I recall being told. I never do it, though.

[Porthos]

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm going to try salting to see if the cracked eggs appear to leak less.

[ScoopKW]

Baking soda. Not salt. It works.

Naturally, it's best to use older eggs. But baking soda makes the eggs easier to peel no matter what their age. I have nothing to support this other than anecdotal evidence of hard boiling hundreds of eggs, though. If anyone has some solid chemistry as to why (or why not), I'd love to hear it.

[Porthos]

Baking soda. Not salt. It works.

Naturally, it's best to use older eggs. But baking soda makes the eggs easier to peel no matter what their age. I have nothing to support this other than anecdotal evidence of hard boiling hundreds of eggs, though. If anyone has some solid chemistry as to why (or why not), I'd love to hear it.

I'd love to know if there is science. Each spring I boil about 1800 eggs over an 11 week period and in the fall another 600 or so. Has to do with a Renaissance Faire group I cook for.

[PSmith]

Doesn't salt raise the temperature of boiling water slightly?

[liuzhou]

Doesn't salt raise the temperature of boiling water slightly?

Yes, but not by much. Altitude makes a difference , too. The people on the first floor of an apartment block have a different boiling point from the people on the 26th floor. I don't suppose it worries them too much.

[Porthos]

Baking soda. Not salt. It works.

Naturally, it's best to use older eggs. But baking soda makes the eggs easier to peel no matter what their age. I have nothing to support this other than anecdotal evidence of hard boiling hundreds of eggs, though. If anyone has some solid chemistry as to why (or why not), I'd love to hear it.

ScoopKW - do they do this at your particular place of employment? Just curious.

[Tri2Cook]

When you boil an egg, you will notice very tiny bubbles coming out from the shell, that is air expanding.

When the egg cools down the air inside the egg will contract, drawing in liquid around it.

So that would mean dropping them into salted water to cool might be more beneficial than cooking them in salted water... now I'm curious.

[naguere]

I know the word 'Salting' has been used, but the thrust is 'Easy to peel'.

I thought this had been put to bed with steaming eggs, it works...!

[judiu]

Nana did it with in-house eggs, Ma did it with store eggs, and I do it with supermarket eggs. We all had cracks and blowouts, I seem to be

most cursed with the bad peelers, but its tradition, and I do it.

[EnriqueB]

I steam for hard boiling, about 15 minutes for large eggs. This is not longer than other methods, once you factor in the short time it takes to get a small amount of water to boil and produce steam. It's gentler so no more cracks or broken eggs, and I feel they also peel better. Laura from hip pressure cooking even steams them at high pressure and claims they peel even better, but I have not found any differences between steaming them with and without pressure.

[judiu]

When eggs are steamed to cook to a "boiled egg" state do you folks put them on a rack to steam, or what? I can't quite grasp this... TIA !