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Now we're getting closer to completion. Next, the eggs need
to be cooled prior to being peeled. The critical point here
is to cool the eggs very quickly. Why do we need to cool the
eggs as fast as possible? Because this is the best way to
prevent a greenish ring from forming around the yolk. This
unattractive green color results from a chemical reaction
between the iron in the egg yolk with sulfur found in the
egg white. When the egg is heated, the two combine to form
green ferrous sulfide and smelly hydrogen sulfide gas. When
the eggs are rapidly cooled, this natural chemical reaction
is minimized.
 The
fastest way to cool the eggs is by placing them in a bowl
of ice water. I have a bowl standing ready, full of ice and
water and I then transfer the eggs with tongs from the pot
of hot water to the bowl. Another way to cool the eggs would
be to carefully drain the hot water off of the pot and add
cold water and ice cubes back into the pot. Either way, you
should obtain the same result. Leave your eggs to cool for
about 25 minutes. Again, setting a timer is helpful to help
remind you to come back for the fun part, getting ready for
peeling the eggs ...
 After
this time, all of the eggs should feel fairly cool. Remove
the eggs one by one and gently crack their shells by tapping
them lightly on a hard surface. Be careful not to smack them
too hard or you are likely to whack them wide open. An egg
for egg salad will still be salvageable if this happens, but
if you want them for deviled eggs, you will have lost an egg.
In the picture, you can see that the surface of the egg is
looking rougher. You want to create a lot of cracks, so that
the surface of the egg feels quite broken and fragile almost.
Return each egg (once you have cracked the surface)
to the bowl of water for another 10 minutes or so to allow
a bit of water to seep under the shell to help faciliate peeling.
So, you crack the shell, add it back to the water, and by
the time you have finished cracking the surfaces of the other
eggs, you will have let the first egg rest in the water for
about the right amount of time.
Cracking then peeling,
continued ...
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