Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs In A Flash With This Push Pin Hack

Hard-boiled eggs have plenty of nutritional benefits when you enjoy them on their own, and they become a tasty snack when you turn them into egg salad or deviled eggs. Part of the process of preparing an egg is peeling it, though, and if you've ever spent way too much time getting that stuck-on shell off, then you know the frustration it brings. It turns out there is an easy hack for preventing the shell from sticking to the egg: Just poke the uncooked eggshell with a push pin, and you'll save yourself plenty of time.

There is some science behind why eggshells stick to the egg. The egg whites in fresh eggs are acidic, causing them to fuse easily with the eggshell's membrane, leading to a difficult peeling process. With that said, here's another easy tip: Use eggs that are slightly older (but not ones that have gone bad, of course) when choosing which ones to hard-boil. This is because older eggs have higher pH levels, meaning they're less acidic and therefore contain egg whites that are less likely to fuse with the eggshell's membrane. The result is an eggshell that's much easier to peel away.

If you have a push pin or safety pin on hand, then all you have to do is poke it directly into each side of the eggshell prior to placing the egg in water. The holes are so small that nothing will leak out of them, and the eggs won't be impacted when cooking. But the tiny hole allows for water to get into the egg, which then pools between the shell and the membrane. It prevents the shell from sticking to the membrane, making it much easier to peel the egg once it's cooked.

Make sure not to poke too many holes, and don't use an object that's any larger than a pin. Too large of a hole could allow the egg white to leak out or allow water to pool too quickly, which could impact the finished product. And if you're using eggs that are slightly older, do the water test to check whether the eggs are bad (if the egg sinks on its side or sinks and stands, then it's fine; if it floats, it's too old to eat).

If you're looking for an easy way to peel eggshells without poking holes in the egg, then you could try steaming them. The steam will be just as hot as the boiling water, meaning it will cook the egg the same way. But the difference is that this process of less direct heat prevents the shell from sticking as easily to the egg. Just place your eggs inside a colander, and then place the colander inside of a large pot over a burner. Fill the bottom of the pot with water, cover it with a lid, and let the steam cook the eggs.

There is also the age-old vinegar trick: Add a tablespoon of vinegar to your boiling water, which will help prevent the eggshells from sticking to that inner membrane because the vinegar softens the shells. The acidic substance goes to work on the eggshells' calcium carbonate, helping the shell come loose more easily during peeling. Vinegar even supposedly helps prevent the eggs from smelling bad.