Passover, Easter and the Perfect Way to Hard Boil an Egg

Editor's Note: This column was originally published on Patch in 2011.

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover, this season seems to focus on the egg.

So I started wondering, what's up with the egg? I spent some time digging into the history, and here's what I've found.

During the Christian festival of Easter, the custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new beginnings. Eggs represent fertility and new life.  It's believed by some that the egg represents the resurrection of Jesus, showing his unending life.

During the Jewish holiday of Passover, eggs are dipped into salt water to represent the tears Jews suffered in slavery. During our family's Passover Seder, my Bubbe (Grandmother) would always say, “Eggs are like Jews; the longer they are in hot water, the tougher they get.” The egg at the Passover Seder also represents the beginning of new life. Its spherical shape has no beginning and no end, representing the cycle of years throughout the history of mankind.

Regardless of your religion, the egg is one of nature's most perfect foods and can be part of a balanced diet. They're a great source of protein, contain all essential amino acids, boast vitamin B-12, vitamin E, A, riboflavin, folic acid, calcium, zinc, iron and essential fatty acids.

To prepare the perfect hard-boiled egg, follow these simple steps:

• Start with good eggs, even in size, with no visible cracks.

• Older eggs are easier to peel, so buy your eggs for hard-boiling a week before you are going to cook them.

• Bring your eggs to room temperature. Let the eggs sit out overnight or at least 8 hours. This will aid in cooking time and ensure the shells don’t crack during cooking.

• Cook eggs in a single layer, covering them with about an inch of water.  This will ensure a quick boil and even cooking.

• Bring water to a boil. As soon as the water boils rapidly, remove the pot from the heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Allow eggs to sit in hot water for 15 minutes for medium. Adjust the time a little less for smaller and a little more for larger.

• The most important part of the cooking process is stopping the cooking process. Drain the hot water from the eggs and add plenty of ice cubes and a little water. If you don’t cool the eggs quickly they will continue to cook, causing the yolk to begin to turn green and unsightly.

• Gently crack the egg on a flat surface and remove the shell under cool running water.

Here's a helpful hint if you are not sure your egg is hard boiled. Place the egg in question on the counter and give it a good spin. If it whirls like a top, your egg is hard cooked. If it weaves and wobbles, it's still raw.

How will you honor the egg this season? I’d like to know… Tell us in the comments.