A high altitude tested recipe for hard boiled eggs with perfectly cooked yolks and easy to peel shells that slip right off. Perfect for a simple snack, for dyeing Easter eggs, or for making deviled eggs.
You might also love these Easter egg sugar cookies, no churn malted milk vanilla ice cream with Cadbury mini eggs, and carrot cake cookies.
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Why Elevation Affects Hard Boiled Eggs
As elevation rises, air pressure falls, so the higher the elevation, the lower the air pressure. This lower air pressure at high altitude affects baked goods by causing them to rise more quickly, and then ultimately collapse, when their structural integrity becomes too weak to support their own weight.
Low air pressure starts to become an issue for bakers at around 1,000-1,500 feet above sea level, and the higher the elevation, the greater the challenge. And since water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, even something as simple as boiling an egg can present challenges.
Read more about high altitude baking in my FAQs.
The Goal
When making hard boiled eggs, there are two main goals. First, a perfectly cooked egg with a yolk that’s cooked through to the center, but not overcooked (which leads to a greenish ring around the yolk and a rubbery texture to the white). Second, a shell that peels off easily, without tearing apart the egg.
What to Do
I tested this recipe numerous times to achieve both goals, with a carefully timed cooking method that cooks the eggs just right. Not too soft, and not too firm. And the addition of a generous amount of both salt and vinegar in the cooking water helps the shells to easily slip off the cooked eggs.
Why Salt and Vinegar Works
The salt raises the pH of the water, weakening the bond of the inner shell membrane to the egg. In my experience, salt works much better than baking soda for this purpose. And the vinegar dissolves some of the calcium in the eggshell, making it thinner and more fragile. Combine both of these ingredients for the most perfect easy peel hard boiled eggs!
Instructions
- Inspect your eggs to make sure the shells are free of any cracks, as cracked eggs tend to leak or split open in the boiling water. Arrange the eggs in a saucepan in a single layer. Add the salt, vinegar and enough cold water to cover the eggs.
- Turn the burner up almost to high, and bring the water to a full boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat slightly so that the eggs continue to boil steadily for 10 minutes.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and quickly cool them down. Let the eggs sit in the ice water for 10 minutes, and then they’ll be ready to peel.
- To peel the eggs, lightly tap on the shell with the back of a spoon to crack it all over. Then use your fingers to gently peel off the shell. Between the shell and the white part of the egg is a thin “skin” that should easily slip off along with the shell.
- If any little bits of shell are sticking to the eggs or to your fingers, give the peeled egg a quick rinse under cool water, then dry it off with a paper towel.
Making Deviled Eggs
For deviled eggs, I like to keep the filling pretty simple. Just a few tablespoons of mayonnaise (I prefer this brand of avocado oil mayonnaise vigorously whisked into the smashed yolks until creamy, with a small pinch of salt and pepper. After piping the filling back into the whites, I sprinkled them with Aleppo pepper and flaky chipotle salt instead of the typical paprika.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can safely store hard boiled eggs, either peeled or unpeeled, in a container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Yes, you can double this recipe if you use a larger saucepan to accommodate more eggs.
For a softer set to the yolk, you can try cooking the eggs for anywhere from 7-9 minutes instead of 10 minutes.
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Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs for High Altitude
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
- cold water
Instructions
- Inspect your eggs to make sure the shells are free of any cracks, as cracked eggs tend to leak or split open in the boiling water. Arrange the eggs in a saucepan in a single layer. Add the salt, vinegar and enough cold water to cover the eggs. (The salt and vinegar will help to loosen the egg from the shell, making it easy to peel.)
- Turn the burner up almost to high, and bring the water to a full boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat slightly so that the eggs continue to boil steadily for 10 minutes.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and quickly cool them down. Let the eggs sit in the ice water for 10 minutes, and then they'll be ready to peel.
- To peel the eggs, lightly tap on the shell with the back of a spoon to crack it all over. Then use your fingers to gently peel off the shell. Between the shell and the white part of the egg is a thin "skin" that should easily slip off along with the shell.
- If any little bits of shell are sticking to the eggs or to your fingers, give the peeled egg a quick rinse under cool water, then dry it off with a paper towel.
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