Egg whites sticking to shells

[Cindy2348]

Our chickens started laying the end of Dec. and when we boil the eggs the whites stick to the shells. Any idea or suggestions as to why?
Thanks

 

[MSBG]

The membrane hasn't had a chance to seperate from the shell yet. Eggs need to be 5-7 days old for the best hard boiling, if they are too fresh you will tear up most of the whites trying to get them peeled.

 

[MSBG]

Here's some helpful hints about eggs & hard boiling.

Hard-Cooked Eggs
Is a recipe for boiled eggs necessary? Yes! If you've ever had a tough egg that you were tempted to bounce instead of eat, or an egg with a green yolk, or an egg that you couldn't peel, these directions are for you.
That unsavory-looking green tinge to a hard-cooked egg yolk is due to a reaction of the iron and sulfur in the egg yolks that occurs at high heat. Prevent that by using this method, which cooks but doesn't boil the eggs. That same lower temperature will yield a firm, but not rubbery, texture.
Fresh hard-cooked eggs are notoriously hard to peel. Try removing the shell from an egg laid the previous day, and you'll end up tossing out half of the white along with the shell. As an egg ages, the membrane around the white begins to separate from the shell. This allows for easier peeling. However, as an egg ages the flavor deteriorates, so the best eggs to hard-cook are between one to two weeks old.

To hard-cook eggs:
Place the eggs in a pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a simmer. Don't let the water come to a rolling boil. As soon as the water is simmering, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Set a timer for 12 minutes for small, 16 minutes for large, and 18 minutes for jumbo eggs.
Fill a bowl with ice water. When the is up, drain the water but leave in the pot. Shake the pot back and forth so that the eggshells crackle all over. Immediately immerse the eggs in the ice water. The water will seep under the shells and loosen them from the whites.
When the eggs are cold to the touch, remove them from the water and peel. Any tiny pieces of shell stuck to the eggs can be rinsed off under the tap. Store the eggs in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days for optimum quality.

Enjoy!

 

[Cindy2348]

Thanks so much for the info. We were wondering if it was because they were too fresh.

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Hmm. I never knew that, I had the same problem yesterday, fortunately they taste the same they just look ugly.

I guess it's more reason to use up the older eggs first if you have them. For poached eggs you want fresh ones though right? So that the white will hold together more in the water...?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Do some BYC Searches for hard-cooking eggs, etc. There's been tons of past threads about the subject.