FoodThe secret to hassle-free peeling: Vinegar in your egg boil

The secret to hassle-free peeling: Vinegar in your egg boil

Hard-boiled eggs are a classic breakfast item, but peeling them can often be a hassle. Fortunately, there's a simple way to make the shells slide off smoothly without damaging the delicate white. Just add one magic ingredient to the boiling water.

How to properly cook eggs?
How to properly cook eggs?
Images source: © Adobe Stock
Marcin Michałowski

Egg boiling is a task that many find challenging, especially when it comes to peeling. Anyone who has wrestled with stubborn shells knows how frustrating it can be. Thankfully, there's a straightforward trick to ease this process. By adding a certain popular ingredient to the water, the eggs will almost peel themselves. Find out why this works!

Eggs will peel without a problem – all it takes is one addition

To make peeling eggs easier, add apple cider vinegar to the water. This simple trick makes the shell more brittle, facilitating its removal. Why does this happen? Vinegar reduces the pH of the egg white, making it less likely to adhere to the shell. This way, after boiling, the eggs can be peeled quickly without losing their soft, delicate structure.

Apple cider vinegar also reacts with the calcium carbonate that makes up the shell. This reaction creates micro-cracks, weakening the shell and making it easier to remove. The effect is almost immediate – after cooling, the shell practically slides off.

Eggs – how to use the apple cider vinegar trick?

Add 15-30 mL (1-2 tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar to the boiling water. Hard-boil the eggs, and then cool them in cold water. This technique ensures the shells will come off easily, saving you time and frustration.

Apple cider vinegar isn't the only way to make peeling eggs easier. Add a teaspoon of baking soda or a pinch of salt to the water. Another tip is to tap the shell against a counter to crack it gently, then submerge the egg in cold water.

Thanks to these simple tricks, peeling eggs will become a pleasure, and you'll be able to enjoy perfectly cooked eggs without any hassle.

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