I Asked 5 Egg Farmers the Best Way To Hard-Boil Eggs—They All Said the Same Thing

I figured if anyone had insight on getting hard-boiled eggs right, it would be egg farmers, and their unanimous answer shocked me.

Aug 15, 2024 - 16:00
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I Asked 5 Egg Farmers the Best Way To Hard-Boil Eggs—They All Said the Same Thing
peeled hard boiled eggs on a wood surface, one cut in half
Simply Recipes / Getty Images

One of the first things I ever learned how to make was deviled eggs. I loved helping my mom make a platter of them because it always meant something special was about to happen—usually a holiday—and more importantly, she let me scrape the filling from the bowl.

As a kid, I probably mangled more eggs than I successfully peeled. Over time, I learned how to peel an egg to come out intact with the whites and without any nicks.

I have my philosophy around hard-boiling eggs, which I often do for weekly meal prep, but I was curious to know if there was wisdom I was missing out on, so I decided to ask the real pros: egg farmers. I figured if anyone had insight on getting it right, it would be them, and their unanimous answer absolutely shocked me.

small pot of boiling water with eggs
Simply Recipes / Getty Images

The Panel of "Eggsperts"

The Number One Tip for Hard-Boiling Eggs, According to Egg Farmers

I’ve tried just about every tip for peeling hard-boiled eggs, from jiggling them inside a pint glass to cooling them in an ice bath before peeling. (The latter tip, I still swear by.) However, I was not prepared for what my egg farmer friends told me: The key to great hard-boiled eggs is to use eggs that are a little bit on the older side.

Nicole, Jes, and Kara are the farmers behind Shine Farm in Richmond, Virginia, where I often score my eggs. They told me, “Buy your eggs from your favorite farmers market, but then let them sit for a few days. Older eggs are easier to peel after boiling!”

Just up the road at Sylvanaqua Farms in Colonial Beach, Virginia, farmer Chris Newman has the same idea: “My tip would be that if you’re buying eggs directly from a farmer, don’t boil them for at least a week or two. Eggs that are too fresh are almost impossible to peel.”

Suddenly, my frustrated attempts at peeling farm-fresh eggs started to make sense. The eggs just needed a bit more time, but why?

According to the USDA, “That's because the air cell, found at the large end of the shell between the shell membranes, increases in size the longer the raw egg is stored. As the contents of the egg contract and the air cell enlarges, the shell becomes easier to peel. For this reason, older eggs make better candidates for hard cooking.”

Even store-bought can be too fresh to peel, says Sarah, so it’s best to wait until they’re closer to their expiration date. “Use cold eggs straight from the fridge, and opt for eggs that are closer to their expiration date, if you have them. In general, the older the egg, the easier it is to peel.”

Then, consider the following pro tips for hard-boiling eggs:

  • Use a pot big enough to place the eggs in a single layer
  • Remove eggs from the boiling water directly to an ice bath before peeling
  • Start peeling at the egg's larger end—that’s where the air pocket is