The Simple Trick Restaurants Use To Peel Many Hard-Boiled Eggs At Once

The boiled egg is probably the easiest source of inexpensive protein in the kitchen, but if you've ever made larger batches of them, you know that the worst part is the peeling process. Not only is it time-consuming to peel one egg at a time, but your hands also have to contend with sharp, broken eggshells, which can be painful to handle.

However, there is a method popular among restaurant professionals for peeling large quantities of hard boiled eggs, especially if you have a plastic container that can hold multiple eggs and some tap water. By placing the eggs and water into the container and shaking it vigorously for a minute or two, the eggs will peel themselves. The action causes them to smash against each other, shattering their shells, which are then washed away by the water. Although this method requires some elbow grease, it saves both your fingers and your time by making the process quicker and less painful — a win-win.

There are a couple of tips to ensure your hard boiled eggs come out perfectly. First, you'll need a spacious plastic container with a lid. Although you might think glass is a better option, its hardness and the risk of it slipping out of your hands and breaking make it a risky choice. Instead, sturdy plastic ware, such as Tupperware, is a much better choice; it's lighter and less likely to shatter.

Second, it's important to cool the eggs down right after boiling. Since the residual heat inside the eggs will continue to cook them even after you've removed them from the boiling water, stopping the cooking process is crucial to ensuring your eggs stay tender and creamy. To do this, fill your Tupperware container with cold water, not hot, before you shake your eggs. This both keeps your eggs from overcooking and shocks the egg whites into firming up, which makes the peeling job easier overall.

Whether you're planning to use a batch of eggs for creamy, jammy egg salads, or to layer them on a slice of bread with avocado for delightful avocado toast, shaking the cooked eggs with water in a container is an easy way to remove the shells quickly. However, if you have plans to prepare eggs in different styles, there are also shortcuts that can help you get them ready in batches for large brunch gatherings. For example, if you're planning to make a dozen poached eggs for eggs Benedict with your friends, consider placing the eggs in a muffin tin with a bit of water before baking. This saves you time while you whip up the hollandaise sauce and toast the English muffins.

If your guests prefer sunny-side up eggs, you can also bake multiple eggs on an oiled sheet pan to easily produce batches of perfectly fried eggs. In fact, if you've used the oven to make crispy bacon beforehand, you can use the remaining bacon fat in the sheet pan to fry your eggs, imparting them with a smoky and savory flavor that's perfect for bacon and egg sandwiches.