Easter Eggs

I think you are boiling them for too long. I put the eggs in a pan w/about an inch of cold water over them. I bring them just to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover and simmer like that for 15 mins. I don't get any cracked eggs with this method. Hope this helps!

I put eggs into water, add vinegar (I am generous with vinegar)....slowly bring to full boil, shut burner down, let them sit covered about 15 minutes or so.

I have a "special" egg "piercer" to prevent cracking but LOL everytime I use it I crack the egg itself to no avail on boiling, LOL.

My above steps work well for me. Water, Vinegar, Eggs, bring to boil...sit 15 minutes

the eggs crack because of the temperature difference, cold eggs from fridge then to boiling water. They need to sit on the counter for 10-15mins or so to warm up a bit. Putting them into cold water and then bringing it to boil isn't enough time for them to adjust to the temperature difference. Water boils pretty quickly! Boil the water and slowly drop the semi-room temp eggs in w/ a large spoon, time them around 12mins, then immediately dump hot water and fill the pan w/ cold water. I usually let the water run a bit, and dump another time or two, just to cool them off. Then I let them sit in the pot w/cold water in the sink until they are cool enough to handle. This method also makes the peeling perfect each time! Good Luck, & Happy Easter!!

Foolproof Boiled Eggs
Cook’s Illustrated: March 1999

You may double or triple this recipe as long as you use a pot large enough to hold the eggs in a single layer, covered by an inch of water.

Makes 6 large eggs

Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with 1 quart water and 1 tray of ice cubes (or equivalent). Transfer eggs to ice water bath with slotted spoon; let sit 5 minutes. Peel and use as desired.

Allow the eggs to warm up a bit on the counter before boiling. Also, add a few tablespoonsof salt to the water. It works everytime.

This works perfectly for me every time. Put them in a pan of cold water .Then turn on the heat to high, but not the highest setting and bring the water up to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling, put the lid on and shut off the heat. Let the pan sit there without the burner on. Set a timer for ten minutes. Then immediately put them in ice water. I read it in a cookbook. They never turn that nasty overcooked green and they don't crack, unless they were cracked before boiling. They peel easily too because the ice water "shocks" them and makes them pull away from the shells.

leave the eggs out before boiling, so they are at room temp & bring them to a boil gradually, boil for 8 min, cool...bet they won't crack!good luck!

I agree--don't actually boil the eggs. Bring it to a boil then remove from heat & cover for 10 min. Repeat. That's the way I do it.

I only bring the water to a boil then shut the burner off and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes. The extra boiling will cause them to crack. Good Luck.

You are boiling them too long :) Put the eggs in cool water in a pan on the stove making sure that there is about an inch of water above the eggs (don't do too many at a time). Cook until water has been boiling for 1 minute, cover, and shut off burner. Leave for 12 - 15 minutes. Rinse eggs under cool water and voila' - perfect eggs! Some folks like to put a little bit of vinegar in the water - I personally do not, but you can try it if you like.

Good luck and have fun!

My Mom always put a dish towel in the bottom of the pan. Then add a spoon full of salt. Usually there is maybe one cracked egg and that's it.
The dish towel helps keep them from hitting the pan while boiling. The salt helps them to peel easier when you peel them.

Well, I do Easter eggs with my baby sister, and have never really had any problem with them cracking. I always bring the water to a boil before putting the eggs in. Maybe that could help :)

This answer was plagiarized from the Incredible Edible Egg page on Facebook. I hope it helps for you :) (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/IncredibleEdibleEgg?r...)
Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs
Prep Time: 1 minute | Cook Time: 15 to 22 minutes | Makes: As desired

Here’s How
1. PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling. REMOVE from burner. COVER pan.

2. LET EGGS STAND in hot water a...bout 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large).

3. DRAIN immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE.

ENJOY
• Pack hard-cooked eggs for lunch to eat out-of-hand. Slice or cut into wedges for tossed salad. Color and decorate for Easter.

INSIDER INFO
• Hard-cooked, not hard-boiled. Although the cooking water must come to a full boil in this method, the pan is immediately removed from the heat so that the eggs cook gently in the hot water. This produces tender, not rubbery, eggs and minimizes cracking.

• Banish the greenish ring. This harmless but unsightly discoloration that sometimes forms around hard-cooked yolks results from a reaction between sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk. It occurs when eggs have been cooked for too long or at too high a temperature. Our method - cooking eggs in hot, not boiling, water, then cooling immediately - minimizes this.

• Food safety precaution: Piercing shells before cooking is not recommended. If not sterile, the piercer or needle can introduce bacteria into the egg. Also, piercing creates hairline cracks in the shell, through which bacteria can enter after cooking.

• Never microwave eggs in shells. Steam builds up too quickly inside and eggs are likely to explode.

• Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. To ensure easily peeled eggs, buy and refrigerate them a week to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief "breather" allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.

• Hard-cooked eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling. Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.

• To peel a hard-cooked egg: Gently tap egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Starting peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.

• Storage time: In the shell, hard-cooked eggs can be refrigerated safely up to one week. Refrigerate in their original carton to prevent odor absorption. Once peeled, eggs should be eaten that day.

• High altitude cooking: It's almost impossible to hard-cook eggs above 10,000 feet.

We have eggs crack every year so don't know what to tell you about that. Now for the second comment, I have to ask Why don't you color the cracked eggs? We have for years, even when I was a kid (my dad is a Pediatrician) and it is safe. It is also pretty cool when you make egg salad or potato salad and you have all these pretty colors LOL

Please don't think I am being rude I am just curious