Food Scientist Reveals Best Way To Peel A Boiled Egg

We’ve all struggled with peeling a boiled egg, only to ruin it as the shell clings tightly to the white, often leaving behind annoying bits of membrane.

The internet is full of so-called “hacks” for easier egg peeling, but the real issue lies in the multiple factors that make eggs tough to peel. Fortunately, science offers practical solutions to tackle the problem.

Factors Affecting How Easily Eggs Peel

Eggs are made up of a hard, porous shell, two membranes (inner and outer), the egg white (albumen), and a yolk at the center, all enclosed by a membrane. There’s also an air cell between the inner and outer membranes next to the shell.

Extensive research conducted in the late 1960s and 1970s explored the factors that influence how easily eggs peel after being boiled.

One of these factors is the pH level of the egg white. A 1960s study found that for easier peeling, the pH of the egg white should fall within the range of 8.7 to 8.9, which is relatively alkaline.

Storage temperature also affects how easily eggs peel. A study from 1963 that keeping eggs at around 22°C (72°F) results in better peelability compared to storing them at cooler temperatures, such as 13°C or in the fridge at 3–5°C.

However, storing eggs at higher ambient temperatures carries the risk of spoilage.

The studies found that letting eggs age for a longer period before boiling – by using less fresh eggs – also made them easier to peel.

Step one: steer clear of fresh eggs

It’s widely known that fresh eggs are more difficult to peel, and there are a few reasons for this based on the factors mentioned above.

Firstly, in a fresh egg, the air cell is still small. As the egg ages, it gradually loses moisture through the porous shell, causing the air cell to expand while the rest of the egg contents shrink. A larger air cell makes it easier to begin peeling.

Moreover, while egg whites start off somewhat alkaline, they increase in pH as the eggs age, which also helps make peeling easier.

Step two: temperature of the water

Some egg boiling enthusiasts argue that starting off with boiling water and then reducing it to a simmer before carefully adding the eggs yields better results. However, it’s important to use eggs at room temperature to prevent them from cracking due to a sudden temperature shift.

The reasoning behind this method is that starting with higher temperatures helps the membrane separate from the shell and egg white more easily.

Additionally, the rapid heat helps the egg white proteins denature (change structure as they cook) and bond to each other instead of to the membrane.

After boiling the eggs for your preferred time (usually 3–5 minutes for runny yolks, 6–7 minutes for jammy yolks, and 12–15 minutes for hard boiled), you can cool them in ice water. This helps the egg white slightly shrink away from the shell, making peeling easier.

Step three : Adding ingredients to the water

Others suggest adding salt to the boiling water to improve peelability, though results vary. One study showed this method did make peeling easier, but the effect faded as the eggs aged.

Both acids and alkalis have also been shown to help with peeling or removing the eggshell. A patent describing this process used more aggressive substances aimed at dissolving the shell.

Building on this idea, you could experiment with adding baking soda or vinegar to the water. The theory behind vinegar is that it reacts with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell, helping to loosen it. As for baking soda, being alkaline, it may assist in separating the membrane from the shell.

Bonus: other ways to cook eggs

There are alternative ways to hard-cook eggs, including pressure steaming, air frying, and even using a microwave.

With steamed eggs, some suggest that the water vapor penetrates the shell, helping to loosen the membrane from the egg white, which makes peeling easier.

Although recent studies have explored air frying other foods, researchers still need to study how this cooking method affects eggshells and makes peeling easier.

Finally, once you’ve peeled your eggs, don’t toss the shells—there are many ways to reuse them. You can compost them, use them as natural pest deterrents in the garden, turn them into biodegradable seedling pots, or even repurpose them for advanced uses like scaffolds in cancer research.

Read the original article on: Sciencealert

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