No one enjoys hard-boiled eggs when the shells are stuck tight. The remedy is simple but does require advance planning. Eggs have a long refrigerator-shelf life. The easiest way to increase the odds for easy shelling is to use “old” eggs, which have spent about two weeks in your fridge, rather than freshly bought ones.
If eggs are fresh, the uncooked whites should be firm and support the yolk. These are best for lofty meringues, schaum tortes, and even fried eggs. As eggs age, the whites become thinner and spread more. For some reason, this also makes older eggs easier to peel when boiled.
The pre-holiday sale on eggs usually happens less than 2 weeks before they will be needed, leaving us with fresh (and therefore hard to peel) eggs to boil for dying. Hopefully you ordered extra eggs this month since they should be just perfect for boiling in April. You can still stock up on fresh eggs, along with fresh lemons, when prices are low to make lemon meringue pies or other desserts!
Onion Eggs…My husband is of German descent and their family Easter baskets wouldn’t have been complete without these rust-colored beauties. They are easy to make, especially when all your little egg-dyers have left the nest. It also gives you a good start on spring cleaning. Begin by gathering up the dried yellow onion skins that have collected in your onion storage basket. Place them in a tall sauce pan; add uncooked eggs and enough cold water to cover all. Bring eggs to a boil, and then simmer for ~10 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Remove pan from heat and allow eggs to cool in water until the desired color is reached. Rinse eggs in cold water to remove any onion skins and store in the refrigerator. Any stains in the pan can be removed by scrubbing with baking soda. Wet onion skins go in the trash.
Tuna Egg Salad…I spent a lot of time with my frugal Dutch great-aunts while growing up. They kept hens so eggs were usually plentiful. Their tuna salad started with a single can of tuna plus 3-4 hard-boiled eggs, along with the usual mayonnaise, celery, onion, and possibly sweet pickles. It was a unique alternative both in taste and texture for a child who wasn’t especially fond of either.