Oil Is The Secret To Effortlessly Peeling Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are nutritious and delicious, which makes them the perfect healthy snack. Despite their many wonderful attributes, peeling a hard boiled egg is often easier said than done. If you struggle with getting the shell off cleanly and efficiently, oil is just the ingredient for you. By adding oil to the water before boiling the eggs, you might find that the subsequent peeling process is much less labor-intensive.

Even better, this method is efficient, since you only need about a tablespoon of oil to pull off the impressive trick. This works because eggshells are permeable, which means that oil in the boiling water can make its way into the shell while the egg is cooking. When the time comes for you to peel the egg, the oil will help the shell break cleanly from the interior, thereby creating a far more easy process. As for the type of oil to use in the water, you're free to use whatever sort you have hanging around in your pantry.

If hard boiled eggs are a staple of your diet, you may have noticed a curious phenomenon. Some shells can be removed from eggs without much trouble, while others require more effort to get the exterior off. For instance, freshly laid eggs are typically tougher to peel because the interior membrane of the egg has a stronger bond with the shell. This bond diminishes over time, which makes peeling the egg a lot easier.

While this is not a practice shared by all egg manufacturers, some opt to cover eggs in mineral oil to keep them fresher for longer and reduce the risk of bacterial contamination. Mineral oil also stops the egg from expelling carbon dioxide through the shell, which reduces the strong bond between the egg and its outer coating. Eggs with this coating are harder to peel and may even prove resistant to the oil-based egg peeling hack.

Not everyone experiences success with the oil trick, as illustrated by a recent conversation on Reddit. According to one commenter, eggshells "are remarkably good at keeping things out," despite their permeability. Others posit that the oil is unlikely to fully integrate with the water, as the two substances are notoriously hard to mix.

While the oil trick is effective in certain situations, it might be better to pair it with another peeling hack to ensure the best possible result. On Reddit, many people suggest using slightly older eggs for optimum peeling, as the membranes will have detached from the shell somewhat. You can also loosen the bond between the egg white and the shell by pouring cold water onto the eggs immediately after boiling. 

If you're still experiencing challenges, try the spoon method. Crack the shell slightly at the bottom of the egg, then take a spoon and gently slip it under the shell to break the bond between it and the rest of the egg. These tricks ensure greater efficiency when enjoying your favorite healthy snack.