and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.  – Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Does anybody out there like green eggs?  Is it appetizing when you see a hard-boiled egg with a greenish hue around the yolk? A plate of deviled eggs or an egg salad sandwich that have more green in them than yellow?

Yuck!

The dark green color around the yolk and the “off” taste occur when the egg is overcooked.

This is a step-by-step tutorial on how to boil the perfect egg, with a beautiful yellow-orange yolk, an easy to peel shell and minimal cracking.

• Start with room temperature eggs.  If they were refrigerated, let sit on counter 1 hour before cooking them.
• Place desired amount of eggs in a pot that allows them all to be in a single layer in the bottom of it.
• Top with one to two inches of cold water; at least an inch more when the pot is crowded.
• Add 1 teaspoon vinegar (helps keep whites from running if shell cracks during cooking).
• Add 1/2 teaspoon salt (helps prevent cracking & makes eggs easier to peel).
• Place on stove and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Shut off the burner.
• Place a lid on the pot and let the eggs sit on the burner for 12 minutes.
• Place eggs in cold water/ice bath in another bowl to stop the cooking process.
• All done!

A soft-boiled egg, where the white is fully set and the yolk is mostly set, but still a bit runny in the middle, would be prepared the same way, but would only stay in the covered pot for 6 minutes.

We have chickens and there are times where I had to steal an egg from right under one of my hens as she finished laying it in order to have enough for my deviled egg platter!  I can tell you from experience that these are the toughest eggs to peel, even with the salt added to the water. There are a lot of “tricks” out there to aid in the removal of the shells, but I have found that patience is best.  Crack the shell all the way around the boiled egg and let it sit in a bowl of water for 30 minutes.  And then peel it in the water!