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The Egg Peeling Mystery Finally Solved: Why Salt Doesn’t Work and the Secret Ingredient That Does

Every holiday season, there’s one recipe that always finds its way to the table: deviled eggs. Creamy, tangy, perfectly seasoned — they’re the kind of appetizer that disappears before you can even refill the plate. But if you’ve ever tried making them, you know one thing can ruin the whole experience: eggs that refuse to peel.

I’ve been there too — scraping, picking, and cursing under my breath while the once-smooth whites turn into a jagged mess. This year, I decided to put the popular “salt in the water” trick to the ultimate test… and what I discovered might surprise you.

🧂 The Salt Boiling Disaster

I’d read countless times that adding salt to the boiling water helps eggs peel more easily. So, I decided to test it for myself. I boiled a batch of eggs with a generous spoonful of salt — thinking it would make the shells just slide off.

But nope! It was an absolute disaster. The shells stuck so tightly that by the time I was done, my eggs looked like they’d been through a war zone. They were completely unusable for deviled eggs — cracked, torn, and just sad-looking.

After that, I realized the salt theory might not be as magical as people claim. So, I turned to another ingredient that I had seen mentioned quietly in a few old-fashioned cooking forums… and that’s where things changed completely.

🥄 The Secret Ingredient That Actually Works

So, what’s the secret? It’s baking soda.
Yes, something that’s probably sitting right now in your pantry!

When you add a teaspoon of baking soda to the boiling water, it raises the pH level of the eggs, making the shells less likely to bond to the egg whites. The result? Perfectly boiled eggs that peel like a dream.

Here’s exactly how I do it: