How do you boil eggs?

[popcornbird]

LOL Debbie.

I usually put 1 or 2 eggs in a little pot, and put enough water to cover the eggs. If you put some salt in the water, it prevents the shells from breaking. Turn on the stove and wait for the water to boil. Once the water starts boiling, I set the timer at 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes are up, I take the pot off the stove, pour the water out, and cover the eggs in it for awhile. They're perfect that way...not too soft and not too hard, but just right. If you want the yolk to be hard, boil it for 4 - 5 minutes. I personally don't like boiled eggs if the yolk gets too hard, and I hate it if its too soft, so 3 - 3.5 minutes is good for me.

[Rachel]

LOL Debbie.

I usually put 1 or 2 eggs in a little pot, and put enough water to cover the eggs. If you put some salt in the water, it prevents the shells from breaking. Turn on the stove and wait for the water to boil. Once the water starts boiling, I set the timer at 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes are up, I take the pot off the stove, pour the water out, and cover the eggs in it for awhile. They're perfect that way...not too soft and not too hard, but just right. If you want the yolk to be hard, boil it for 4 - 5 minutes. I personally don't like boiled eggs if the yolk gets too hard, and I hate it if its too soft, so 3 - 3.5 minutes is good for me.

This is more or less what I do as well except I don't do the last step of covering the eggs. My eggs aren't runny either. Some of you seem to be cooking for an awfully long time. Seems that your eggs might be a bit too *rubbery* for me. I've also used the method of heating to boiling, covering and letting sit for twenty minutes, but that takes a little longer. I always start with the eggs in cold water as opposed to dropping them into boiling water.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Gee, glad I asked!

I had heard so many different stories that I figued I'd better ask to get it right.....

What I did: Cold eggs in cold water. As soon as it started boiling I set the timer for 10 minutes because I wanted them hard boiled. I was upstairs on the computer when the timer went off so they probably were boiling for 12 minutes before I got back to them. Rinsed them in cold water and let them sit on the counter to cool. The bad news is I forgot about them and left them on the counter all night. I'm thinking they'll still be ok because Easter eggs sit out for a few days and are still good, right? I didn't have time this morning to peel them so I don't know how they turned out yet, but will be sure to let you all know!

Richard, I knew I had heard something about how to prevent that gray color, but I couldn't remember what it was. Thanks for clearing that up.

Thanks everybody! For my next act I'll dial the phone for pizza delivery.......

[Barbara]

Not boiling them 12 minutes will also help with the gray/green.

Of course you can eat them next day! Peel them and make egg salad sandwiches

[Randi]

Not boiling them 12 minutes will also help with the gray/green.

Of course you can eat them next day! Peel them and make egg salad sandwiches

I totally agree - with both statements.

And btw, you can not really use any of these timings, apart the ones where you time it from when the eggs actually boil, it depends on how many you're boiling - that's why I said one - two eggs in my post.