A Perfectly Peelable Egg

Boiled eggs can be a hassle. So much so that I sensed the disappearance of one of this household’s traditional holiday foods, the deviled egg. It had been one of my personal favorites to prepare and share because its simplicity was underplayed by the complicated palate of flavors, colors and textures.

A boiled egg is even more delectably delicious because it doesn’t delete dollars in a grocery budget, a prime factor for a retiree. A lot of bang for the buck in nutrition, taste and culinary creations is waiting inside each in its own biodegradable packaging that doubles as fine food for flowerbeds.

I was tempted to buy Eggies, plastic containers that one empties raw eggs into before dropping into water to boil. Or was it before plopping into the microwave to heat? I didn’t really read much beyond the price tag, so I’m not positive about the correct use of the contraptions.

Retirement is the primary argument against the purchase. With all this ‘free’ time, why should I care that I have to spend several minutes peeling one silly boiled egg? Reality… I pulled off edible chunks of egg with the fragile shell, so at the end of several minutes, I had much less of a tasty egg to mix into tuna or crumble over a salad.

Before I gave in to substituting mashed scrambled eggs in those dishes, I thought I would make one last calculated effort to get it right. I surfed the web for all sorts of how-to's on boiling a cooperative egg. The value of those hints is measured by consecutive successes, which I have not had.

Until recently! For the third time in a row, with varying numbers of eggs in boiling water containing no added ingredients, I have perfectly peeled a boiled egg in seconds! No mess, no fuss. (Put into pot of cold water. Set timer for six minutes. Run cold water into pot then pour eggs into a bowl of ice water. Peel and enjoy)!

So, I will not be grimacing at the thought of using scrambled eggs where boiled ones are preferred, nor will I be wasting my precious ‘free’ time fashioning my own eggies with plastic colored eggs left over from last Easter, to the relief of my taste buds and my health for sure.