Bacon-Cheddar Deviled Eggs & All about the PERFECT Egg (Part 1)

1. To create the tastiest egg, you must start with the best quality.  Purchase locally pastured eggs from chickens that actually graze for their own food.  Just as cows weren’t designed to eat grains, neither were chickens.  Their diet should consist of bugs and worms not pellets in a bag! ;-(  Check out you local newspaper, Craig’s List, etc. to find local, farm fresh eggs!  The taste (and appearance) can’t be beat!  My mil keeps me supplied with eggs and it’s a great perk!  When my husband and I were dating, he brought me some gorgeous eggs and he told his mom, to keep them coming! 😉 I personally would choose local pastured eggs over store-bought organic any day! Pastured eggs also have that BEAUTIFUL golden-colored yolk which gives your cakes a golden color or your deviled eggs a natural yellow color without the mustard!
2. Local pastured eggs are ALWAYS fresher than those purchased at the grocery store!  Of course, fresh is always best.  The only thing about fresh eggs is that they may not peel as well, but there are ways around that! (Keep reading more tips to boiling eggs).
3. To test to see if eggs are ok to use, dissolve 2 tbsp of salt into 2 cups of cold water.  Fresh eggs will sink and old eggs will float. If you have floaters, DO NOT use them!
4. I use large eggs in all of my recipes.  Egg size will vary when purchasing pastured eggs.  A large egg is around 2 oz.  The eggs I receive from my mil are all roughly 2 oz.  I have received eggs that were bigger than 2 oz and would adjust the recipe accordingly. When cooking for the Farmer’s Market, making large batches, I would actually weigh eggs to ensure consistency. If your eggs are smaller than large, weigh them to see how many you will need to equal a large egg.
5. Keep eggs in fridge to give eggs a longer life.
6. When baking, use eggs at room temperature.  This is especially the case when beating egg whites.  A room temperature egg white will hold its shape and volume must better than cold eggs.
7. If a recipe calls for egg yolks, simply freeze the egg whites in an ice tray for later use or make these YUMMY Chocolate Chip Cookies!

 

 

Handy Color Changing Egg Timer

Tips for the PERFECT Boiled Eggs:

1. Choose pot big enough for all eggs to rest on bottom of pan, not stacked.
2. Fill pot with cold water to cover eggs.  Continue to fill pot until water is 1 inch over eggs.  You can add more water but this will only take longer for the water to come to a boil.
3. Cover pot with appropriate lid and turn on med-high heat.  Bring to boil.  The lid will help water come to a boiling temperature quicker.  DO NOT ADD SALT to boil quicker!  The water may boil quicker but it will not be the correct boiling temperature!
4. Once water comes to a full boil, turn off heat and allow eggs to soak in hot water for 10-12 minutes.
5. While eggs are soaking in their hot sauna, get a few cups of ice and cold water ready.
6. Cooking time will vary based on size of egg.  Start with soaking eggs 12 minutes and if after cutting into them there is a green ring around the yolk, which is a sign of an over cooked egg, decrease your sauna time to 10 minutes.
7. If the timing of boiling the eggs is too complicated, you can always purchase this handy gadget that changes colors once the egg is perfectly cooked!  I love mine!
8. Carefully pour off hot water (use lid to keep eggs in pot while straining water) and add ice and cold water to cover eggs completely.
9. Leave for 5 minutes to soak then proceed to peel eggs.
10. To peel eggs, remove egg from water and tap on counter top on all sides and at the ends.  Then proceed to roll egg on counter top to help release shell from egg white.
11. NOTE:  Older eggs will peel better than fresh eggs because the membrane that surrounds the egg white and connects to the shell has started to separate from each other.
12. Carefully start to peel shell off.  The cold water shock should help this process be easier.
13. If eggs are not peeling easily, let the remaining eggs soak a little longer.
14. This is NOT A FOOL PROOF method but will help in most cases.
15. If an egg doesn’t peel well, remember, it will be perfect for egg salad! 😉

1 dozen boiled & peeled eggs (following directions above)
1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise 
Sea salt to taste
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5 pieces of cooked, crumbled bacon
Fresh black pepper

Split peeled eggs carefully on the horizontal and carefully remove the yolk with a spoon or fork and place yolks in medium bowl.  Use fork and mash cooked yolks so that there are no large pieces.  Add mayo and stir.  Stir in 1/2 off shredded cheese (or you can just reserve all for the top). Taste for salt.  Place egg white halves on serving dish.  Pipe (or spoon) the egg yolk mixture into the well of the egg white.  Top with the remaining cheese and then with bacon. Finish with a little fresh black pepper.