Steaming Eggs versus Boiling

Steamed Eggs (Photo by Amy Bradt)

One of the most frustrating things about boiling fresh eggs is getting the shells off without totally tearing up the whites.  I used to save eggs for a couple of weeks, just to make peeling easier.

I found out that the difficulty lies in the low acidity in the fresh egg's environment, causing the egg white to stick to the inner shell membrane.  As the egg gets older, the shell's protective coat slowly wears off, the egg becomes porous, absorbs more air, and releases some of its carbon dioxide. This makes the egg white more acidic, causing it to split away from the inner membrane. The egg white also shrinks slightly, so the air space between the eggshell and the membrane grows larger, resulting in eggs that are easier to peel.  

When I saw this hint for steaming eggs on Pinterest, I knew I had to give it a try.  I've been steaming eggs ever since! 

I am now able to collect eggs from my girls in the morning, and steam the same day, with the egg whites remaining intact, and no green ring!

Directions
Place a steamer basket in the bottom of a large pot, then add as much water as needed to reach the bottom of the basket (about 1 inch to 1½ inches).  Heat the water on high heat until it is boiling.  Place the eggs in the steamer basket, cover and turn heat to low.

Set your timer for 8 minutes for soft boiled, 10 minutes for medium boiled, or 12 minutes for hard boiled (I found that 12-13 minutes is just about perfect hard boiling for my hen's extra large eggs).

Remove eggs, and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool them down.  Crack the egg all over, then peel.

I recommend removing an egg a couple of minutes before you think they're done, rinse with cold water, then peel and cut open to check the yolk.  This is also my "taste-test" egg, as I love to sprinkle a little Lawry's® Seasoned salt & freshly ground pepper and eat it right then, still warm (Nom, nom).

Notes

This method works best if the eggs are in a single layer, but you can double them up as well, you'll just need to add more cooking time.