Want Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs For Easter? Here's How To Get Them

Did you know that the practice of dyeing eggs is thought to have originated with early Christians in Mesopotamia? Or that from there it spread into Russia and Siberia through Orthodox churches, and then into Europe through the Catholic and Protestant churches?

Eggs dyed red are meant to symbolize the blood of Jesus Christ, and the use of them as symbols or rebirth and resurrection may have been influenced by "pre-dynastic period in Egypt, as well as amid the early cultures of Mesopotamia and Crete," according to one historian.

Whatever the reason, dyeing eggs remains popular, and in addition to bunnies and baskets and chocolate eggs, the real things mean a lot to people. Indeed, the American Egg Board says the average person consumed one-and-a-half dozen eggs at Easter in 2015. That's a lot of cooking.

To cut your time in the kitchen this Easter (which takes place on April 16 this year) — and the stress that comes with getting the perfect peel — check out the board's easier, faster way to hard-boil your Easter eggs.

Easy-Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs

Total time: 17 minutes
Ingredients: 12 eggs
Directions
Step 1: Heat 1/2- to 1-inch of water in a large saucepan to boiling over high heat. Carefully place steamer insert into pan over boiling water or proceed to Step 2, if not using a steamer insert.

Step 2: Carefully add eggs using a large spoon or tongs. Cover and continue cooking 12 minutes for large eggs (13 minutes for extra large eggs).
Step 3: Drain immediately and serve warm. Or, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then refrigerate.
Voila! Egg-ceptional hard-boiled eggs.

Did you know?

Fresh eggs may preferable in omelets but not for hard-boiled eggs. To make eggs easier to peel, the Egg Council recommends using eggs that are about 7 to 10 days old when hard boiling.

And once they're cooked? In the shell, hard-cooked eggs can be refrigerated safely up to one week. Refrigerate in their original carton to prevent odor absorption. Once peeled, eggs should be eaten that day.

Egg Peeling 101

The number one reason people choose not to hard-boil eggs? Peeling is a pain. Here's a trick an eggs-pert tip: gently tap large end of egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled. Starting peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.

Illinois Patch Staff contributed to this article

— Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons/Donar Reiskoffer