Boiling Eggs and the Famous Anti-Cracker

Here are some tips for boiling eggs in an energy saving manner.

Take the eggs out of the fridge and let them warm up to room temperature. Put the eggs into a pot or sauce pan full of water, preferably not ice cold water. Bring the pot to a rolling boil, then turn the burner off and cover the pot with a towel or tea-cozy. If you need the burner space, put the pot onto a folded towel. 5-6 minutes later the eggs are as boiled as if you had wasted electricity all that time.

To prevent eggs from cracking, make an Anti-Cracker. (I invented this one about 30 years ago.)

Anti-Cracker Instructions

Get an egg holder like they use in hotels for soft boiled eggs. In plain plastic they are usually 49 cents for half a dozen.

Get the shortest sheet metal screw that you can find.

Poke a pilot hole into the bottom of the egg cup, and run the screw up from below. If it sticks more than a millimeter (a bit less than 1/8 inch) up into the cup, use some washers or shorten the screw with a side cutter or hacksaw.

That's all for the fancy crafty work.

Before boiling eggs, press them into the egg holder so that the screw punctures the tip. Don't worry about it leaking. The skin on the inside will not be penetrated, just the shell.

For fast and easy peeling, crack the eggs. This trick takes some practising and is not recommended for people who have trouble walking and talking at the same time.

Lay an egg flat onto the counter and put your finger tips on it.

Put just enough pressure onto the egg to hear the shell crack.

Push your hand forward so that you roll the egg. You have to gradually decrease the pressure otherwise you will make a mess. By the time the egg is under your palm, your touch should be feather light. Then cup your fingers gently around the egg and drop it into the water. This is not just a party trick for show-offs. It cuts the peeling time to 1/4, and if you have to boil 5 dozen for a potato salad for a barbecue or wedding, you will really appreciate having learned that skill.

Have FUN!
DearWebby