Why are hard-boiled eggs hard to peel?

It's one of the most frequently asked questions we get here at Egg Farmers of Ontario.

Why are hard-boiled eggs (also known as hard-cooked eggs) sometimes hard to peel? 

When the question is asked, there's usually lots of frustration expressed over not being able to peel an egg easily. I'd be the first to agree it's annoying to have chunks of egg come off with the shell, or to have the shell break into fragments so tiny it takes forever to peel the egg. It's one thing if you're using the egg to make something like egg salad and its appearance is not critical, but if the egg is to be used for devilled or pickled egg and a smooth, unblemished surface is important, frustration levels can be particularly high. 

A Solution?

Blow the shell off??

You may have seen YouTube videos of people literally blowing shells off of hard-boiled eggs; they crack and peel the shells off both ends of the egg, then hold one end of the egg up to their mouth and blow hard. As if by magic, the egg pops out of its shell. I'm not a big fan of this technique! Not unless the egg being "peeled" is being eaten by the same person doing the the peeling. Otherwise I'm not so keen about eating eggs that have been breathed over and blown on by someone else!

A Better Solution - and the Secret to Peeling Hard-Boiled Eggs!

When a little less fresh is a whole lot better!

Successfully peeling a hard-boiled egg has to do with how old the egg is. Learn the secret from egg farmer Diana Schenk.