The trick, as it turns out, is to NOT boil your hard-boiled eggs.  Rather, getting the water to a boil, then allowing them to sit in it, covered but off the heat, gets you well cooked and yet not rubbery eggs.  The other thing I’ve never been able to avoid was the greenish-grayish ring around the yolk.  Guess it was due to over-cooking and hard-boiling.  Once cooked and peeled, you can eat them plain, slice them atop a salad, devil the heck out of them or even pickle them, which I intend to do.

• Put eggs in pan and cover with cold water – plus an inch.  Bring just to a boil over med-high.

• When water begins to boil, remove from heat and cover pan.  Set timer for 13-18 minutes – more time the larger the eggs are – and let them sit undisturbed.

• When the time is up, remove eggs from hot water into ice bath to cool, which will assist in stopping the cooking process and also will make it easier to peel them.

• When completely cooled, gently tap egg on hard surface to crack all over, then carefully peel away all shell and fragments.  It helps to do this part under running water to wash away the tiny bits as you go.

• Keep eggs in the shell until you’re ready to use, but once peeled eat right away.  Throw a couple in your lunch, mix that creamy yolk with some mayo and mustard and top with a pinch of kosher or sea salt and pepper.  Delicious and healthful snack or lunch!