How to boil a fresh egg - from your yard

[GSF]

Let's set the record straight - if it came from the grocery store it ain't fresh. The date isn't put on the carton until it leaves the commercial egg farms. That may be a couple of weeks. They don't rot because it's climate controlled and the egg isn't washed until it leaves -so I'm told. Take an egg from the store remove it from the shell without breaking the yolk, do the same with a fresh egg. Now look at the way the yolk sits. A fresh egg's yolk will sit higher and firmer. A lot of folks won't bake with store bought eggs.

I don't know how many are aware of this. The downside to having fresh eggs is the difficulty in peeling the shell off after you boil them. My wife will bring the water to a boil first then put the eggs in. I think she puts it in cold water then bumps it after it's cooled, then she peels. 

[gww]

gsf
I think if you use your oldest eggs for boiling that they will peel better.  I get enough eggs that I can save some for two weeks or so before boiling them.  I have heard that putting salt and also a small amount of cooking oil while boiling will help.  I never worry about that though.  If I have older eggs I will try to use them.  If not I just waste some.  We also put from hot to cold water before peeling.
gww

[mikecva]

I use some salt and two tablespoons of white vinegar. Get the water to a boil, take the eggs from the refrigerator and lower them gently into the water. cook for 11 minutes then put in an ice bath.
The eggs usually peel easily and have no dark ring around the yoke.
If you go on the internet there are many other ways to hard cook an egg.
Do you know why a chief's hat has 101 pleats in it?  . . . . To remind the chief there is 101 ways to cook an egg.  -Mike

[Jim134]

If you would like an easy way to peel eggs that are cooked in the shells. You can steam fresh eggs and they will peel easy.




          BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[BeeMaster2]

Jim,
How long do you steam them?
Jim

[Jim134]

Jim,
How long do you steam them?
Jim

  This is the ultimate way to do it. It works fine about 6 minutes for soft cook and 12 minutes for hard cook hope this helps you out. . The inch of water boiling water from the start is really important. Drop the temperature to medium at the eggs have been transferred into the boiling water. Along with eggs at refrigerator temperature.

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/168-easy-peel-hard-cooked-eggs#


   BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[nella]

Put the eggs in the water, bring to a boil, turn off burner and let set for 10min. and put in cold water to cool eggs and then peel the eggs.

[GSF]

I never thought that boiling an egg thread would get so much traction (lol!) Yall keep it up if you can, I'm learning something with every new post.

[Kathyp]

I love steaming them, but if you boil, use this.  It never fails.

http://www.food.com/recipe/julia-childs-hard-boiled-eggs-468926

[Sniper338]

I boil older eggs and feed them back to my chickens when we got too many...  good for them, and the shell too..

[minz]

I just go buy some. I have tried dozens of ways to do fresh eggs and the frustration kills me.

[Acebird]

I boil older eggs and feed them back to my chickens when we got too many...  good for them, and the shell too..

Our older eggs are 6 days old.  We have to stop selling in the winter because we eat them all.  Chickens slow down egg production because of the lack of daylight.
Thanks for the link on how to cook fresh eggs.  My wife was about to commit a sacrilege and go buy some at the store when she wants to make deviled eggs.

[BeeMaster2]

Brian,
If you add one of the lights that have the big metal reflector you will greatly increase your egg production. Get a dust to dawn controller (sold for Christmas lights) and set it for on for 5 hours after sunset. Place a 13 watt, 60 watt equivalent, in the light fixture, hang it just outside the cage and watch what happens. It will take about 3 weeks before they start production. The guy that told me about it said that several people he told about it ended up asking how to turn it off. Of course that is the answer, turn off the light.
Jim

[Acebird]

Yes, I know Jim.  When we don't get enough eggs for our own use we have to eat what my wife calls gruel (it is just oat meal) for breakfast.  I have a light in the coup.  When I get tired of gruel the light goes on.  Part of the problem now is getting my wife committed to lopping off their heads when they are too old.

[amun-ra]

Sounds to me like your henpecked lopoff her head and keep the chooks 

[BeeMaster2]

Part of the problem now is getting my wife committed to lopping off their heads when they are too old.

Brian,
I have the same problem. I prepped 2 roosters and she cooked them. They came out tough. I think they were just under cooked due to using the farm gas oven which does not heat as well as her other oven.
We feed chickens until they die of very old age.
I hate seeing chickens having to walk around with canes.   
JIm

[gww]

When I first got chickens.  I built a chicken plucker and butcherd about 12 of them.  My wife was excited but when it came time to eat them she bulked.  I didn't and they were good though like saw says, tough.  Since that time they have become pets and if one gets sick, my wife will spend days hand feeding it trying to save it.  I doubt we butcher any more.  I am lazy and you guys might be good at it but I find butchuring is pretty hard work and so I guess I am good with them being pets even if they do eat way to much with not return.  We gave our last four roosters away and when we did I told my wife not to ask what the guy that took them was going to do with them.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss .
Cheers
gww

[minz]

We have a feed store down the road (by KathyP actually) that gives you $5 a chicken $6 for a large like a rooster.  Guy here at work asked how I butcher my chickens I told him I sell them, take the money and buy a Costco chicken on the way home!

[Kathyp]

We have a feed store down the road (by KathyP actually) that gives you $5 a chicken $6 for a large like a rooster.

Yup.  I sell them all my roosters and old hens.   

[Acebird]

We have a feed store down the road (by KathyP actually) that gives you $5 a chicken $6 for a large like a rooster.

I would like that deal.
Killing the chicken is easy it is dealing with the feathers that I don't like.  The ones I have done were skinned.
Any chicken that isn't a meat chicken is going to be tough that is why you make soup out of them.  I have to say the taste is awesome compared to anything you find in a store.  But I don't like the 15 or 20 minutes it takes to skin them and plucking them is even more a PITA.