Best Kept Secret to Perfectly Hardboiled Eggs

Like many people, I've been trying to get more protein into my diet. Protein helps build and maintain muscle, and it helps keep our metabolism humming. So while I’m stocking up on chicken for my salads at lunch, and fish or meat for dinner, I am also trying to make sure that I can have some very easy protein-filled breakfasts to take on the go. A cup of yogurt can get old relatively quickly and requires a spoon to eat (if you don’t want a mess).

So, what’s the solution to this dilemma? A different type of protein than what you’re eating later on in the day, and something easy to transport. Eggs meet all of this criteria, making them an excellent protein source for the breakfast meal. If you have enough time, cook over-easy eggs and eat them right away that morning. But many mornings are more rushed, and require a grab and go breakfast to eat either during the commute or once you get to the office. Hard-boiled eggs are a great match: easy to transport, no utensils required, and loaded with protein. Each egg has 6 grams of protein, so three eggs provides just under 20 grams of protein. But how do you make eggs most efficiently? I’ve spent a few years trying out various techniques and have recently found a new, more efficient process than boiling the eggs.

That is, don’t boil them. Steam them and peel the shells off right away. Having your eggs already cooked and peeled is important, since you want a ready-to-go food as you head out the door on a busy morning.

Here’s the recipe:

1. Start with a large sauce pot and a steamer basket.

2. Fill water until it’s just at the steamer basket level, cover, and turn stove onto high heat.

3. When the water is boiling, add the eggs in a single row and re-cover. In my saucepan I can usually fit 6-8 eggs.

4. Turn on timer: 12 minutes for hard-boiled eggs, 6 minutes for soft-boiled eggs. In the meantime, prepare a bowl with ice and water for the eggs when the cooking is done.

5. When the time is up, remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water bath. Leave for a few minutes, and then remove to peel and store (or eat).

What makes steaming work so well? One, steaming seems to be more consistent in it’s cooking of the egg than boiling water. Second, placing the eggs in an icewater bath stops the cooking process quickly so they do not overcook and get too rubbery. Lastly, peeling them is easiest when they are recently cooked and makes you more likely to eat these healthy snacks! Peeling them after they have steamed usually results in larger parts of the shell coming off all at once, and the membrane being stronger to protect the egg. If you need to, you can peel the egg under running water to help separate the shell from the egg.

Lauren’s first run was around the block in a pair of grungy Vans when she was in middle school. Following that she’s had fits & spurts of running, until a few years ago when she started chronicling her running experiences and training at LaurenRuns. Since then she’s gone on to run 5 marathons and numerous triathlons, including two Ironman triathlons. She likes Swedish Fish, red wine, healthy eating and trying new foods. Follow her blog at www.laurenruns.com, on Twitter at @runlaurenrun and Instagram at @laurenruns, and Facebook at Lauren Runs Chicago.

Main Photo Credit: bitt24/shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: chattanongzen/shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: Jiri Hera/shutterstock.com