Peeling eggs

[Anthony5]

I eat quite a bit of eggs and so buy them by the 30 pack.

Never buy eggs that have a packing date longer than 4 days, and next hard boil them in a large cooking pot.

Most of the time I buy them at Makro, but occasionally from Big C when they are in promotion, or don't need to be in Makro.

So basically I buy identical eggs, packed no longer than 4 days, and boil them in an identical way. I always add some vinegar to the water since Mr Google told me that prevents cracking.

Yet when I peel the eggs from Big C I will have a hard time to get the shell come off properly without the egg white sticking to it, while the eggs from Makro will peel easily.

This experience isn't a one time event but happens each time, reason also why I prefer the Makro eggs.

What is the reason?

Edit: scale should have been shell

Edited June 28, 2015 by Anthony5

[NeverSure]

The older eggs are, the easier they are to peel.

If you take them straight out of the boiling water and put them into ice water they peel easier.

If you poke a tiny hole in the small end of each with an ice pick before boiling they peel easier.

Get a grip man. You didn't grow up on a farm, LOL?

[NeverSure]

Oh, it's apparent that Big C simply doesn't know how to oil the eggs before they put the shell on.

[Anthony5]

The older eggs are, the easier they are to peel.

If you take them straight out of the boiling water and put them into ice water they peel easier.

If you poke a tiny hole in the small end of each with an ice pick before boiling they peel easier.

Get a grip man. You didn't grow up on a farm, LOL?

Like I said,the eggs are of the same age and I use identical procedure to boil them, after they are boiled I also put the pot under the tab until the water in the pot stays cold.

I thought I read somewhere that the older the eggs are the more difficult they peel, and you say now the opposite.

Would like to hear from someone else who is right, as that will determine where I buy my eggs in the future.

[CharlieH]

MOVED to food.

[Tywais]

Neversure is correct in that the fresher the egg the harder to peel. This is due to contraction of the liquid inside as air gets in over time through the porous membrane of the shell and it starts evaporating. As such, the white is not in contact with the shell as much.

Are either one of them organic eggs? My wife says they are harder to peel.

[Anthony5]

Neversure is correct in that the fresher the egg the harder to peel. This is due to contraction of the liquid inside as air gets in over time through the porous membrane of the shell and it starts evaporating. As such, the white is not in contact with the shell as much.

Are either one of them organic eggs? My wife says they are harder to peel.

I don't think that either of them are organic, I'm too stingy to pay those prices, but I notice that both will have a air chamber.

Your wife may be correct, as I got the impression that the egg from Makro I peeled just this evening had shrunk in its shell.

Just bought 30 eggs from Makro yesterday, and boiled them already, you think I can return them?

[NickJ]

So to they taste diffrent?....

[Anthony5]

So to they taste diffrent?....

Not that I notice, but of course I would prefer the freshest ones, as with every food.

[chaophraya49]

Don't know why they are hard to peel but give this method a try.

[WitawatWatawit]

I put baking soda into the water. Start with cold water, put in eggs and BS, fire up stove, bring to boil and let it roil for a minute or so, then turn off the heat. Just let the eggs sit in the water until cold.

Works perfectly almost every time. If it doesn't, glue the shells back on and sell them to someone else.

[NeverSure]

-snip-

Like I said,the eggs are of the same age

Truth in advertising abounds in Thailand, including from the supplier. I'm certain that Big C and Makro follow each egg from the time it is laid until we buy it.

Eggs keep for a long time. Like 3 months in the refrigerator. I wouldn't touch one that was less than a week old because they just don't get any common sense until they get older.

[wayned]

You keep saying "packing date"! It's the "laying date" that counts and most likely the Big C eggs have "layed" around for a while before they are packed. I get fresh eggs from my chickens and always put them in the fridge for a couple of days if I am going to hard boil them otherwise peeling them is a real chore.

[NeverSure]

So the date isn't the "use by" date or the date they were born? What if they sat out in the sun for six months before they were packaged and... LOL.

[JohnOFphon]

Man, this made me hungry for a batch of deviled eggs. Did anyone mention that you can peel the eggs in, or under, the water?

[malt25]

I find eggs difficult to peel if left in the cooking, warm water. As soon as boiled as required, remove from hot / warm water & put in cold water for a few minutes. No problem peeling with this method. And as stated above, a little vinegar works wonders.

Cheers..... Mal.

[gerry123]

Neversure is correct in that the fresher the egg the harder to peel. This is due to contraction of the liquid inside as air gets in over time through the porous membrane of the shell and it starts evaporating. As such, the white is not in contact with the shell as much.

Are either one of them organic eggs? My wife says they are harder to peel.

just for interest what is an organic egg ??

[Anthony5]

Neversure is correct in that the fresher the egg the harder to peel. This is due to contraction of the liquid inside as air gets in over time through the porous membrane of the shell and it starts evaporating. As such, the white is not in contact with the shell as much.

Are either one of them organic eggs? My wife says they are harder to peel.

just for interest what is an organic egg ??

From a chicken that has been fed organs.

[billphillips]

The freshest BigC eggs that I have found are their own brand with 10 in a pack, I normally use size O. I always peel eggs under a running tap and even the stubborn bits seem to fall away after a few seconds of running water.

I can't think that here in Thailand, even in the big supermarkets, eggs past their use by date are binned. More likely the use by date will be modified. I never buy eggs from roadside or market vendors, only from big supermarkets. In the past Iv bought eggs home only to find that it's impossible to fry one because the yolks break too easily or they are totally flat in the pan, the eggs were not fresh. I'm sure the dates on the pack were a fantasy.

[h90]

Neversure is correct in that the fresher the egg the harder to peel. This is due to contraction of the liquid inside as air gets in over time through the porous membrane of the shell and it starts evaporating. As such, the white is not in contact with the shell as much.

Are either one of them organic eggs? My wife says they are harder to peel.

I only buy organic egg if they are available and yes they are harder to peel.

But if they are cooked and than 2 days in the fridge things improve.....

[h90]

The freshest BigC eggs that I have found are their own brand with 10 in a pack, I normally use size O. I always peel eggs under a running tap and even the stubborn bits seem to fall away after a few seconds of running water.

I can't think that here in Thailand, even in the big supermarkets, eggs past their use by date are binned. More likely the use by date will be modified. I never buy eggs from roadside or market vendors, only from big supermarkets. In the past Iv bought eggs home only to find that it's impossible to fry one because the yolks break too easily or they are totally flat in the pan, the eggs were not fresh. I'm sure the dates on the pack were a fantasy.

On eggs no one need to afraid....believe me you'll know when the egg is past its time.....if they smell OK you can eat them. (Assuming you don't eat them raw.....like some Thais and some nordic people do)

[Tywais]

just for interest what is an organic egg ??

Had to look it up but my guess about them was pretty close.

Organic egg production is the production of eggs through organic means. In this process, the poultry are fed organic feed. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, organic means that the laying hens must have access to the outdoors and cannot be raised in cages.^[1] Organic egg producers cannot use antibiotics except during an infectious outbreak. Only natural molting can occur within the flock; forced molting is not allowed. Organic certification also requires maintenance of basic animal welfare standards.

Source

[Tywais]

On eggs no one need to afraid....believe me you'll know when the egg is past its time.....if they smell OK you can eat them. (Assuming you don't eat them raw.....like some Thais and some nordic people do)

I posted this tidbit in another topic:

Due to cracking open a spoiled egg and its accompanying odor I had to look up how to check in advance. Didn't want to have to experience that again.

Glass or bowl with cold water. Put the egg in it and if it sits on the bottom on its side its fresh, one week or less. If it floats a little and sits on its end at the bottom, probably 2-3 weeks old. If it floats to the top, 4+ weeks and possibly spoiled.

//edit - due to air slowly leaking in as the shell is moderately porous.

[h90]

On eggs no one need to afraid....believe me you'll know when the egg is past its time.....if they smell OK you can eat them. (Assuming you don't eat them raw.....like some Thais and some nordic people do)

I posted this tidbit in another topic:

Due to cracking open a spoiled egg and its accompanying odor I had to look up how to check in advance. Didn't want to have to experience that again.

Glass or bowl with cold water. Put the egg in it and if it sits on the bottom on its side its fresh, one week or less. If it floats a little and sits on its end at the bottom, probably 2-3 weeks old. If it floats to the top, 4+ weeks and possibly spoiled.

//edit - due to air slowly leaking in as the shell is moderately porous.

small correction: the water from the inside goes out, so the air bubble gets larger. That is a good rough indicator of age but doesn't say much if it is spoiled.....

In a very dry fridge it will swim earlier but isn't rotten in compare to high moisture warm storage which would let the egg appear fresher in your test.

Sometimes eggs last months in the fridge....I remember older times when my mother opened ever egg put it in a glass first before mixing it with the others (so she won't spoil the good ones with a bad one).

I have the luck that my nose sensors on spoiled eggs are almost complete broken, I almost can't smell it, but I hold it under my wives nose, if her face turns green it shouldn't be eaten

[CaptHaddock]

It's also important to buy eggs that have been kept refrigerated in the store, not left out on shelves at room temperature. At my supermarket only the CP eggs are refrigerated, so I buy those. These are notably fresher than the unrefrigerated ones in the same store.

Increased gas in an older egg is due to decomposition of the egg itself. The shell is impermeable.

[Tywais]

Increased gas in an older egg is due to decomposition of the egg itself. The shell is impermeable.

Egg shells are porous. How do you think embryos can stay alive? By transfer of CO2 and Oxygen through the shell pores.

Directly under the chicken egg's shell are two membranes. When the eggs are laid by the mother they are warmer than the air, and as they cool the material inside the egg shrinks a little bit. This shrinkage is what pulls the two membranes apart, leaving behind the small air sack that is filled with oxygen. As the developing chick grows it uses the oxygen from the air sack and replaces it with carbon dioxide. The tiny pores in the shell allow the carbon dioxide to escape and fresh air to get in. The chicken egg has more than 7,000 pores in its shell to allow this to happen! These pores also allow water to go through the shell, which is why the dye appears as small dots on the inside of the shell, often clustered in certain areas, and why an egg after being hard-boiled would weigh slightly more than when it was raw. Also, freshly laid eggs do not allow water to penetrate as well as older, commercial eggs do, so fewer blue spots will probably be visible on the inside of fresher eggs compared with older ones.

Scientific American

[gerry123]

just for interest what is an organic egg ??

Had to look it up but my guess about them was pretty close.

Organic egg production is the production of eggs through organic means. In this process, the poultry are fed organic feed. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, organic means that the laying hens must have access to the outdoors and cannot be raised in cages.^[1] Organic egg producers cannot use antibiotics except during an infectious outbreak. Only natural molting can occur within the flock; forced molting is not allowed. Organic certification also requires maintenance of basic animal welfare standards.

Source

ok thanks now i know what they do in USA how does that work in LOS

[Tywais]

ok thanks now i know what they do in USA how does that work in LOS

One place shows what they do. Hilltribe Organics

Our Organic Eggs Are....Hormone Free. Pesticide Free. Antibiotics Free. Chemical & Synthetic Additive Free

I don't have a lot of faith in the big companies in being exactly accurate when they label it Organic due to the limited regulations here.

[chickenslegs]

Don't know why they are hard to peel but give this method a try.

I just tried that method and it works really well. Thanks.

[canman]

I always let the eggs which I wish to hard boil sit out of the refridgerator a week after purchase. Older eggs do peel easier. Some brands seem to peel better than others. I use the xtra large eggs available here in Singapore which seem to have a thicker shell. Gently "denting" the shell at both ends before boiling but not penetrating the membrane helps as well. I use the end of a wooden spoon which is rounded to gently crack the shell. Put the egg on the end and tap the spoon on the benchtop. Vinegar in the water helps to quickly set the white if the shell does crack so you don't lose too much of the white.

Fool proof hard boiled cooking method: place eggs in water and bring to a boil, boil for one minute and turn off the heat. Let stand for 13-15 minutes, depending on size of egg. Immediately remove, drain and fill pot with cool running water. Gently crack each egg as soon as you start cooling it to prevent green ring of sulpher forming around the yolk, thats just for asthetics.