<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gary Miller:
There is also a trick to perfect hard boiled eggs but I am at alost for thought. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Don't know about the carton trick but there are a few things you can do for really good hard-boiled eggs. First, the fresher the egg the more likely the membrane between the eggshell and the egg will stick causing the shell not to remove cleanly during peeling. Unfortunately there's no real way to know how fresh eggs are unless you collect them yourself (the sell-by date is not help here), but, generally, if you let your carton sit a round in the fridge for a while you'll have better results. Sometimes that's not necessary and you'll get smooth-peeling eggs right away--it depends on the criteria that packer used to determine sell-by.
Anyway, to boil: Cover the eggs with cold water in a pot, using enough water to cover them by an inch or two. Bring to a boil over high heat uncovered, then cover and remove from the heat; allow to sit 10 min (for large eggs, a min or two less or more if cooking smaller or larger eggs) without disturbing. Drain and refill the pot with cold water; allow the eggs to cool 5-10 min; drain and use or refrigerate. This method will keep the whites from overcooking and getting rubbery and the yolks from getting green or gray.
Mark--Thanks for the recipe. I have more bantam, guinea, chicken, and duck eggs than I can possibly use. Perhaps gifts of pickled smoked eggs to everyone I know...