Fresh from the Coop Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an egg collected straight from the coop and then hard boiled is a pain to peel.

I try to be pretty open and inclusive on my blog, sharing ideas without handing down pronouncements about how your farm SHOULD be run. I'm a firm believer that everyone has different circumstances and dispositions, and so there aren't one-size-fits-all ways to raise your food. But there is one topic on which I will make a clear and and firm statement: Everyone who raises laying hens and enjoys hard boiled eggs should have an Instant Pot.

I know there's a lot of hype about electric pressure cookers lately - and honestly I'm always a bit leery of things that are popular - but the one thing that finally got me to try one was the repeated stories of people raving about their hard boiled eggs. Sure, you can make refried beans from scratch in under an hour, or bake a cheesecake without heating up your house, and even cook a piece of meat straight out of the freezer because you forgot to thaw it out the day before (not saying that from experience, but I've heard it works . . .) but for me, finding a solution to making hard boiled eggs without waiting until they were old - that was it. The holy grail of kitchen appliances.

"But boiling eggs on the stove is so easy!" you say. "They're ready in minutes! I don't have time to do it a different way!" "I don't want to wash extra dishes!" Let me show you how easy this is.

Step 1. Wash your eggs. Unless you're Martha Stewart, there's poop on them. Admit it. Get 'em clean. You'd have to do this either way.

Step 2. Put about a cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot insert (you don't have to measure - just make sure there's some water in there). Set the little grill tray thingy in the water and put the eggs on top (see? Easy peasy. You can even use words like grill tray thingy and they'll still come out perfectly).

Step 3. Put the insert into the Instant Pot and close the lid. Make sure the pressure valve is in the sealed position.

Step 4. Set the control to manual and the time to 4 minutes. Then go away until it beeps.

Step 5. When it beeps, set a timer for 4 more minutes. When that timer goes off, flip the little knob to release the pressure (I generally put a towel over it so I don't steam the veneer off of my cupboards).

Step 6. Remove the insert from the machine and put the eggs into cool water. My mom always put them in the sink and ran a thin stream of cold water over them until the water was cold to the touch, and who am I to question my mom?

Technically, they're done now, and you can dry them and put them in the fridge. I like to add one more step (I know, I make things so complicated!) and peel them right away. I like to marvel at the amazing ease and lack of swearing, and also I just find it easier to fit them in my overstocked fridge if I store them in an upright mason jar rather than an egg carton. Fun fact - a dozen eggs fits perfectly into a quart-sized canning jar. Don't believe me? Here's a picture:

Alright, fine, you have to squish that top one down a bit, but you can get the cover on. It's all good.

Anyway, this was not just a shameless plug to get you to click on the link below and buy an Instant Pot (even though I would get a small advertising fee for your purchase, while your price would still be the same). I really think this is an awesome tip, and will make your life that much easier. Anything to reduce swearing in the kitchen, right?