Boiled Eggs



Those of us celebrating Easter this weekend are well acquainted with hard boiled eggs. This is probably the first time in 66 years that I haven’t had colored eggs in my home for Easter. Between dying Easter eggs with my children and grandchildren, making plenty of deviled eggs and potato salads for summer picnics, and just cooking eggs for breakfast, I would estimate that I have boiled roughly a bazillion eggs in my lifetime. And it turns out that everything I knew about boiling eggs was wrong.

For one thing, the best boiled eggs aren’t boiled at all; they’re steamed. And it’s not true that you should start eggs in a pan of cold water. Shouldn’t you bring the eggs to a boil and then turn off the heat? Nope. Nor should they get an ice bath after they’re done cooking. I was pretty sure that I knew how to do this basic task, but chef and food writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt taught me otherwise. He has the data to prove it. Here’s the New York Times article about his adventures in what he modestly describes as "the largest-ever double-blind egg-boiling-and-peeling experiment in the history of the universe.” Testing Hard Boiled Eggs

So I read the article and did my own experiments. I tested his steaming theory with a regular pot and with a steamer insert. And holy cow! He was right! The best hard cooked eggs are steamed in a little bit water for a precise amount of time. I’ll never do it any other way. (In case you’re wondering, both techniques work equally well but using a steamer insert takes a bit longer, so I’m good with just a pan and a lid.)

I also tested his theory about peeling eggs while they’re still warm. He nailed it again. And I even discovered that if you just drain the eggs in a colander and then swirl them around vigorously, most —and in some cases, all — of the shell will simply fall off by itself, and then you can just rinse off the rest. You can also do this in the cooking pan. Who knew?

That’s probably a lot more than you have ever wanted to know about hard boiled eggs. But I was remembering fun times coloring Easter eggs, and one thought led to another. Which then reminded me of other things I thought I knew for sure that have lately been proven wrong. It’s not true, for example, that I have to have a haircut at least every four weeks; it’s been a lot longer than that now, and the sun still comes up every morning. It’s just not true that I must have everything on my grocery list, or that I’m at my best when I’m busy every day. This time of sheltering at home has taught me countless things, and I’ll bet it’s done that for you, too.

In this season of rebirth and new life, we all find ourselves living new lives. Have you also learned to see the many kinds of abundance in your life, or uncovered new truths about yourself? Have you, too, been surprised by some of the things you have discovered lately? When this is over, we all will have choices about whether we carry these lessons forward. What new truths will you want to keep with you when this time of sheltering ends?

For now, I wish a blessed Easter to all who observe it. And I wish you and all your loved ones good health, today and every day.

Until tomorrow,
Love from Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma

PS, Here’s Lopez-Alt’s recipe in case you want to try it yourself: Perfect Boiled Eggs


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