A convenient, tasty and healthy snack can be hard to find. Quality snacks are important when dieting, training or just following healthy eating habits.
Fortunately, with a little preparation, you can take advantage of one of the most complete food sources known to man-eggs.
Hard boiling your eggs is a great way to have a quality protein snack that is transportable and ready to eat in seconds. There are a variety of ways to hard boil an egg. Not all of them are equal. With a little help and lots of experimenting, I have found a great way to hard boil an egg. But first, we will briefly go over a few nutritional points about eggs. The conventional wisdom has seen many shifts regarding the healthiness of eggs over the past decades.
There was a time when eggs got a really bad rap. However, in recent years research has shown that eggs aren't nearly as bad as they were once made out to be. In fact, according to new research from the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, eggs are lower in cholesterol than previously thought. The review of the data showed the average amount of cholesterol in one large egg is 185 mg. That is 14% less than previously recorded. Improvements in hen feed have been cited as a factor for the drop in cholesterol.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 300mg a day of cholesterol. This means you can easily consume an egg a day and meet the guidelines. This is especially true if you strive to cut out other less beneficial foods containing high amounts of cholesterol. Eggs are easily digestible and they are a very balanced food. Except for vitamin C, eggs contain all the vitamins, protein and minerals essential for good health. An average large egg in America today contains about 5 grams of fat (in the yolk), 185 mg of cholesterol and 70 calories.
Hard Boiled Egg Perfection
The method I use to hard boil an egg comes from years of practice and following the advice of both Julia Child and the Georgia Egg Council. Do note that peeling your hard boiled eggs will shorten their refrigerated life to 2-3 days. Leaving your hard boiled eggs unpeeled gives you 6-7 days of refrigerated shelf life. Eggs that are not hard boiled typically last 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Hard boiling them removes the natural protective coating of the egg thereby shorting its shelf life.
The Hard Boiled Egg Procedure
Optional, but a good idea - prick the large end of each egg you will hard boil with a small pin. Stick the pin in at least ¼ inch. (There is an air bubble at the large end an egg; this lets the air escape).
The Water - No matter how many eggs you are boiling, the water should cover the eggs by 1 inch. (Boiling more than 2 dozen at a time is not recommended).
Using a tall pan is recommended.
Cooking - Lay the eggs in your pan and cover with cold water (water should be 1 inch above eggs). Put heat on high and bring to a boil (no lid on pan). Remove pan from heat immediately when the water boils. Cover the pan and let sit for 15 to 17 minutes (17 works best for me). Set a timer!
When time is up, put the eggs into a bowl of ice and water. Chill for 2 minutes. At the same time, bring your cooking water to a boil again.
After 2 minutes, and when your water is boiling, transfer the eggs to the boiling water (go for about 6 eggs at a time if you're doing a large batch). Bring water back to boil. Boil for 10 seconds. Remove eggs and place in ice water again.
Leave eggs in ice water for 15 to 20 minutes (I go on the higher side). This chilling process prevents the yolk from getting black on the outside. This is great to know if you're having a party and want perfect looking hard boiled eggs. It also makes the eggs easier to peel.
Once time is up, you can choose to peel your eggs. If you do peel them, keep them in an uncovered bowl of water in the refrigerator. They should last 2 to 3 days.
If you do not peel your eggs immediately, they should last 6 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Make sure to check the freshness of your hard boiled eggs if you do not consume them immediately. Also make sure that they are cooked all the way through as salmonella does occur in eggs (it is only present in about 0.01% of eggs and can be safely cooked away).
Final tips - This method of hard boiling an egg takes a bit more time and attention than other methods, but it will give you a far superior end product. Make sure you are fully prepared with everything you will need before starting the procedure, and you will do well. Enjoy your hard boiled eggs after exercise for a shot of balanced protein, as an on-the-go snack or as a quick part of a home meal. And you can always get rid of the yolk to cut out a large part of an egg's fat and cholesterol.
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