# Why are eggs sometimes so easy to peel and sometimes impossible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878 "2009-08-09T22:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/1 "2009-08-09T22:54:42Z")
Usually, when we boil eggs, getting the shells off is really easy. They peel off no problem. But now and then we get a batch - such as the one we’re working with now - where removing the shell is nearly impossible without pulling off chunks of egg. Why is that? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/2 "2009-08-09T22:59:46Z")
Fresh eggs are hard to peel. If you let them age for a week or so, then hard-boil them, they peel much easier. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/3 "2009-08-09T23:45:45Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Fresh eggs are hard to peel. > If you let them age for a week or so, then hard-boil them, they peel much easier. But _why_ is it that way? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/4 "2009-08-09T23:58:00Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > But _why_ is it that way? Apparently, the pH of the albumen changes - the higher the pH, the easier it is to peel. [More than you ever wanted to know about egg peelability.](http://books.google.com/books?id=m20SqIXGKYYC&pg=PA466&lpg=PA466&dq=why+are+eggs+hard+to+peel&source=bl&ots=CFC4oHIksL&sig=L5OKMZM6KcpL5qbZhUdaSowQH0k&hl=en&ei=zWF_SpmlCZT2sgO37MnvCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/5 "2009-08-10T00:03:20Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Yeah, yeah. I know. I think we’ve had multiple threads on this, some as recent as last year. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503683&highlight=peel+eggs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503683&highlight=peel+eggs) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=446664&highlight=peel+eggs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=446664&highlight=peel+eggs) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=391326&highlight=peel+eggs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=391326&highlight=peel+eggs) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/6 "2009-08-10T00:06:40Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Apparently, the pH of the albumen changes - the higher the pH, the easier it is to peel. > More than you ever wanted to know about egg peelability Damned if you weren’t correct about how much we need to know. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/7 "2009-08-10T14:36:12Z")
Many of the several threads listed above have have \*time \*recommendations. **Shouldn’t time relate to altitude?** ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/8 "2009-08-10T14:37:12Z")
Does anyone have a link as to how professionals do it? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/9 "2009-08-11T00:32:52Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > Does anyone have a link as to how professionals do it? I think **Chefguy** has been a professional for quite some time. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10749259&postcount=20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10749259&postcount=20) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/10 "2009-08-11T00:37:05Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I think **Chefguy** has been a professional for quite some time. I think he just plays one on TV. Not that his advice isn’t sound, mind you. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/11 "2009-08-11T19:17:00Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I think he just plays one on TV. Not that his advice isn’t sound, mind you. Irrespective of his credentials, I don’t see where he has addressed the time and altitude problem. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/12 "2009-08-11T19:23:33Z")
[Boiling eggs at altitude.](http://newton.ex.ac.uk/teaching/CDHW/egg/#mountain) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/13 "2009-08-11T20:52:05Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Apparently, the pH of the albumen changes - the higher the pH, the easier it is to peel. > [More than you ever wanted to know about egg peelability.](http://books.google.com/books?id=m20SqIXGKYYC&pg=PA466&lpg=PA466&dq=why+are+eggs+hard+to+peel&source=bl&ots=CFC4oHIksL&sig=L5OKMZM6KcpL5qbZhUdaSowQH0k&hl=en&ei=zWF_SpmlCZT2sgO37MnvCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10) That’s not more than we wanted to know. That’s EXACTLY what we wanted to know! Ignorance fought decisively! Finally, we get documentation for one reliable, scientifically proved method for making peeling a hard-boiled egg easy: raise the eggs’ Ph by keeping them at room temperature for 24 hours before use. The table at the link just NAILS it. This info should be appended to the [Staff Report](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1776/whats-the-secret-of-getting-hard-boiled-eggs-to-peel-easily). Props to Shirley Corriher, author of _Cookwise_, mentioned [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10752448) for the baking soda alternative. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/14 "2009-08-12T01:47:37Z")
Please note that there is a Staff Report on this topic: [What’s the secret of getting hard-boiled eggs to peel easily? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1776/whats-the-secret-of-getting-hard-boiled-eggs-to-peel-easily) Please also note that there is another current thread on this topic: [Hard Boiling Eggs So the Shell Is Easily Removed](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503683) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/15 "2009-08-12T03:15:17Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Apparently, the pH of the albumen changes - the higher the pH, the easier it is to peel. > [More than you ever wanted to know about egg peelability.](http://books.google.com/books?id=m20SqIXGKYYC&pg=PA466&lpg=PA466&dq=why+are+eggs+hard+to+peel&source=bl&ots=CFC4oHIksL&sig=L5OKMZM6KcpL5qbZhUdaSowQH0k&hl=en&ei=zWF_SpmlCZT2sgO37MnvCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10) Damn those scientists! What will they conquer next! Seriously, I can’t believe there is an article/chapter that long on “peelability.” ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/16 "2009-08-12T04:38:56Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Please also note that there is another current thread on this topic: [Hard Boiling Eggs So the Shell Is Easily Removed](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503683) **Dex** That’s probably not a current thread. I think I linked to it as an example of threads we had previously done. Then, someone posted to it today? It actually ended, for all intensive porposes :p, in January. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-eggs-sometimes-so-easy-to-peel-and-sometimes-impossible/505878/17 "2009-08-12T04:56:01Z")
Toss the boiled eggs into cold water, crack their shells with a spoon to introduce water between the shells and the albumen as the soft parts shrink, and hope for the best.