We're Not Sure If Mama Would Approve, But We're Using a Spoon To Peel Our Hard-Boiled Eggs From Now On

Deviled eggs are one of the greatest foods on the planet. Whether you're eating the traditional version or something dolled up with smoky pimento cheese or shrimp remoulade, there's nothing we don't love about eating the classic appetizer. The same can't be said about making them, though. That's because peeling the hard-boiled eggs can be a real pain. Luckily, there's a new trick to try that makes it a whole lot easier and all you need is a spoon.

For a one-ingredient food, hard-boiled eggs are pretty finicky. If you don't boil them long enough, you wind up with soft-boiled eggs and runny yolks. Cook them too long and an unappetizing greenish ring can appear around the center. Even when you cook them perfectly, all your hard work can go to waste when you try to peel them and the shell refuses to budge or takes out big chunks of the egg white with it. Like we said: finicky. So what are you supposed to do if you're hankering for some egg salad?

First, follow our directions for perfect hard-boiled eggs. After the eggs cool for five minutes, ideally in ice water, grab a spoon.

Take an egg out of the cooling water and crack it along the fat end by tapping it on the counter or cutting board. Peel just enough shell to be able to slip the tip of a spoon under the shell. Carefully slide the spoon in so that the curve of the spoon follows the curve of the egg. Then, rotate the egg as you move the spoon between the shell and the egg white. This releases the shell without damaging the egg. Once you get the hang of it, this is a quick and relatively painless way to peel a hard-boiled egg.