How to Peel an Egg
This illustration is part of my Collective Food Wisdom series, for which I asked people across different languages and cultures to share a nugget of food wisdom or advice they’ve received that they continue to carry with them in their kitchen, garden, or life.
This wisdom comes from Susan Dworski, who's had lots of experience with eggs.
What is the most useful piece of food wisdom or advice you have ever received?
Susan: How to peel a freshly laid, hardboiled egg without losing half the egg stuck to the shell. This works even with just-laid eggs taken directly from the coop. When the eggs have boiled, have a bowl of ice water with a few cubes in it ready. Plunge warm eggs into it to stop further cooking and decrease chance of shells sticking. Give the egg a sharp thwack! on each end. A cutting board is a good surface for this. Then place egg on its side and gently roll it back and forth using the flat of your hand. A spiderweb of cracks will appear on the shell’s surface. Poke your thumbnail into the crack on the fat end where there is usually a little air pocket. Wriggle the shell off the egg carefully. It will fall off like a hairnet. Dip into a cup of water to loosen any bits of shell remaining. Never fails.
Who gave it to you?
Susan: My daughter.
How does it show up in your life?
Susan: It shows up every day, here at Ten Hen Farm on a tiny island in the Puget Sound.
I thought this handy trick might apply this week. I tried it myself, and it works like a charm. Happy thwacking!
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