Why Are Eggs Harder to Peel?

By Miss Cellania in Food & Drink on Nov 15, 2009 at 1:29 pm

There is some evidence that peeling a hard-boiled egg is not as easy as it was a couple of decades ago. The reason why might surprise you -older eggs are easier to peel, and the eggs we eat are fresher than ever! As an egg ages, it loses both moisture and carbon dioxide, which causes the air bubble between the shell and the membrane to get bigger. A bigger air pocket makes eggs easier to peel.

While I’ve noticed the Peeling Problem most distinctly with superfresh farm eggs, the eggs you buy at the supermarket could be getting fresher too. Most American eggs are produced and distributed by agribusiness concerns like Cal-Maine and Rose Acre, which each have more than 20 million hens cranking out eggs just for you.

Statistics on the time it takes for an egg to go from hen to supermarket have not been calculated, a USDA representative told Wired.com, but there’s some reason to believe that new production techniques could be delivering eggs to markets faster.

A 1998 report by the agency found that big consolidated chicken egg facilities, which wash and package the eggs on-site instead of sending them to a separate processing location, could reduce the time from farm to store from 100 hours to 53 hours. And, according to Cal-Maine’s SEC filings, the industry continues to centralize, squeezing out the old facilities in favor of the new ones.

So if you are going to use hard-boiled eggs in your Thanksgiving dishes, you might want to purchase your eggs soon. Link -via Unique Daily

Tags: chicken, eggs, fresh, peel

Neat stuff from the NeatoShop:

Old Geezer
Nov 15th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
There is another factor as well. Not long ago, folks weren’t as mobile as they are today. The weekly shopping trip meant that you had eggs that might have been in the store for a few days and then those eggs sat in the fridge for a few more days. Today, the modern woman might decide at lunchtime to make something for dinner and pick up the ingredients on the way home from work. Voila! Really fresh eggs! That’s OK. You can use them with the vegetables that flew in yesterday from half way around the world.
dave9
Nov 15th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
The trick is to put the freshly boiled eggs into a pan of cold water until cool. The eggs will ‘sweat’ a little bit and make the shell come off more easily.
Miss Cellania
Nov 15th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
dave9, I was told that, too, but be sure to crack them first. Seems to work for me!
LisaL
Nov 15th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
It’s SO easy to peel a boiled egg.
Just crack it lightly on a counter and then roll it so the shell cracks all around. If you did it correctly, the shell will peel off in 1 or 2 chunks.
Courageous Grace
Nov 15th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I don’t get this insistence on eating super-fresh eggs…

I purchase eggs about once a month/two months in bulk (like, 2 1/2 dozen or 5 dozen at a time, it’s cheaper than by a single dozen). Never once have I encountered a “bad” egg and they’re all super easy to peel when hard-boiled.
Katey
Nov 15th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I don’t really have this problem as my eggs usually sit in my fridge for a few weeks. However this is the third mention of it lately (my roommate first, then another blog, now here) so I’d like to suggest something that I’ve heard:

Pierce your eggs before boiling. A pushpin is good for this. Poke it in the wide end. This lets air in, which makes the cooked egg easier to peel.
michael jordan
Nov 15th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
This article is silly and wrong. The way to peel a hard boiled egg is to roll it from End to End rather than around the “equator”. This time honored procedure pushes the air bubble all around the great circle meridian of the egg loosening the membrane as it goes, giving a great peel every time.

And to suggest that your eggs should not be fresh is to assure that the egg you peel is not worth the effort.
jill sawyer
Nov 15th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Here’s what I do. Take the eggs out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Add a little white vinegar to the water you boil them in. When done, let them cool completely (put back in fridge if you’re in a hurry). The shells will come off easily.
pwscott
Nov 15th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Can’t say I’ve had much trouble peeling an egg. I just boil it until it cracks. :p
jacicaalban
Nov 16th, 2009 at 1:09 am
The best way to make easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs with pure yellow centers is to place the eggs in a pot of cold water and add a teaspoon of salt. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and remove from heat and let sit for 13 minutes. Drain the eggs and immediately place in an ice bath until completely cooled. Drain and enjoy your perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2167423
Muscle Might
IndieExStonerDude
Nov 16th, 2009 at 5:26 am
I’ve noticed the variation in the ease of peeling an egg – I have two-a-day for muscle growth. And some days it’s so easy, some days it takes bloody ages! Thanks for clearing that up! I’ll store them for longer!
Frau
Nov 16th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I learned the super quick way to peel an egg from a Videosift featured here on Neatorama> http://www.videosift.com/video/Quick-Peel-An-Egg
Gail Pink
Nov 16th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Eggs are Awesome.
Splint Chesthair
Nov 17th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I eat the shells.
Carol Lewis
Jun 12th, 2010 at 11:23 am
The idea that an older egg is easier to peel can’t be true (not all the time anyway). I had two boiled eggs today: one had no “air pocket” which indicates a fresh egg. It peeled VERY easily. The other had a large air pocket. It was a #$%!X to peel and I nearly threw it across the room. I need another answer!

Keep track of the comments with

Don't Miss: New Stuff | Bestsellers | The Cute Store
Funny T-Shirts

Need a gift? Get unforgettable gifts for:
Geeks | Pranksters | Kids | Hipsters | Shutterbugs

The latest from NeatoBambino: