The Viral Spoon Hack That Makes Peeling Hard-Boiled Eggs A Breeze
While hard-boiled eggs are a great protein-packed snack, sometimes they can seem like more effort than they're worth. It's not that making them is all that difficult, although everyone has their own tips and tricks for ensuring perfectly hard-boiled eggs, whether they prepare them in boiling water, an air fryer, or an oven. It's the peeling process that causes the biggest headache.
However, it's not time to give up on hard-boiled eggs just yet. A TikTok video that demonstrated a trick for effortlessly peeling eggs recently went viral, racking up nearly 100,000 shares and over 10,000 comments. And uniquely, this tip is one that you do before you even boil the eggs. As TikTok user @aymlessleigh84 demonstrated, you merely have to gently tap the shell by the air sac on the wider end of the egg with the back of a spoon until you hear a slightly different noise than the regular sound of the spoon tapping on the shell before you boil the eggs. That noise is an indicator that you've separated the membrane from the shell within the egg, so when you go to peel it, the process should be much easier.
Vinegar, ice baths, and egg-rolling: more tricks for easily peeled shells
The comments section of the TikTok video was filled with many users weighing in on the technique. Some tried it and couldn't believe how well it worked, while others were more skeptical, stating that it wasn't the dream solution that they had been hoping for. Many also shared their own tips and tricks for easy-peeling eggs, of which there are many.
@aymlessleigh84 FRESH boiled eggs that will peel CLEAN without tearing up! LIFE CHANGING! You can thank me later! #boiledegghack #lifehack
It seems that others have stumbled upon the membrane-separating hack, albeit in a different way, after the eggs are boiled. For example, taking a minute or two to roll a hard-boiled egg gently between your hands as the final pre-peeling step is recommended because it's thought that this move loosens the membrane that's causing the peel to cling to the egg whites.
While you might already be plunging your still-hot hard-boiled eggs into an ice bath to ensure they don't become overcooked, this step also helps make peeling a breeze, again because of something to do with that membrane. Going from hot to icy water causes the egg white to shrink from the shell, which helps separate it from that membrane and consequently makes the egg easier to peel.
Finally, if you're looking for something to add to the pot that will help make peeling less frustrating, many recommend adding some type of vinegar to the boiling water. The acidic nature of this ingredient will help soften and break down the shells just enough that they'll be easier to remove.