If you need an effortless way to peel eggs, then try adding a little baking soda to the pan while they boil. Baking soda helps add alkalinity to the water, which will make the shells hard and easy to remove. You no longer have to buy eggs and then wait to boil them. Cooks recommend refraining from using fresh eggs because the shells don't peel easily, but using baking soda will help alleviate that problem.
Place the desired number of eggs in an empty pot. Make sure you use a shallow pot so that water will completely cover the eggs.
Pour cold water into the pot. Cover the eggs completely with at least 1 inch of water.
Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda to the water. The salt helps the proteins in the eggs coagulate, which means they become firm and are more likely to seal if they crack in the pan. The addition of baking soda aids in removing the shells from the eggs when they finish boiling.
Place a lid over the pot. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Turn the heat off once the water boils. Keep the pot on the warm stove top with the lid. Leave the eggs in the hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not time the eggs until the water starts boiling.
Remove the pan from the stove top. Run cold water over the eggs to stop them from cooking. Allow the eggs to cool completely before you begin peeling the shells.
You can immediately place the boiled eggs in ice water to cool them more rapidly.
Eating raw or undercooked eggs can result in salmonella poisoning.
Angela LaFollette holds a Bachelor of Arts in advertising with a minor in political science from Marshall University. LaFollette found her passion for writing during an internship as a reporter for "The West Virginia Standard" in 2007. She has more than six years of writing experience and specializes in topics in garden and pets.