Hard-Cooked Eggs

We get this question a lot, and it’s especially relevant given last week’s column about how to make perfect devilled eggs.

Here’s what our home economists have to say on the matter.

Here are our basic instructions on how to make hard-cooked eggs:

• Place large eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Cover with cold water, allowing for 1-2 inches of water above the tops of the eggs.
• Cover and bring to a boil using medium-high heat.
• Remove from heat and let the saucepan sit for 22 minutes. For extra-large eggs, add about 2 minutes to the heating time.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the saucepan and place them in a large container of water containing ice cubes. Cool thoroughly. Remove the eggs from the ice water and refrigerate them until needed. Cooling quickly will decrease the likelihood of a green ring developing around the yolk.
• Hard cooked eggs in shells can be refrigerated for up to 7 days.

More handy tips for making hard-cooked eggs:

• To maintain an optimum storage temperature, always store eggs in their carton in the body of the refrigerator, not in the door.
• Eggs that have been stored in the refrigerator for a week prior to boiling will be easier to remove from their shells than fresher eggs.
• To prevent eggs from cracking, before cooking, pierce the large end of the egg with a needle.