How to make hard-boiled eggs

During my recent stint as custodian at a college, I have come across several young folks (and a few older folks) who do not have basic cooking skills.  This kind of shocked me because I was helping prepare dinner for our family by the time I was 9 years old.  Hence, I have decided to add some basic cooking techniques to the “How To . . . ” section of my blog.  Some may find these instructions ridiculously simplistic, but I am writing for those with no real cooking knowledge.  This first series of blogs, then, is on how I hard boil a dozen eggs.

What makes me qualified to be so presumptuous as to teach egg boiling? I have learned a few things along the way that have helped me produce properly boiled eggs for dozens of years.  How did I learn this stuff? Three main sources:

• What my mother taught me.
• What culinary school taught me.
• What I learned cooking for a renaissance fair cast of over 100.

Combined, this is almost 50 years of experience, so use this guide if you have never boiled eggs or are getting bad results.

Start with the specifications, what you need and why you need it.
Then go on to the instructions. As always, I welcome your comments.  Click on the Comment link below; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.