The genius way baking soda makes peeling hard-boiled eggs *so* much easier

Whether you’re making your famous deviled eggs for a holiday party or meal-prepping some afternoon snacks for work (which seriously, props for being so on top of it), the matter is the same: peeling hard-boiled eggs can be tricky, not to mention time-consuming. Since the shell almost always needs to be removed tiny piece by tiny piece, you might as well put a good movie on and sit back and relax as you get the tedious and time-consuming job done. Unless you happen to have some baking soda on hand, that is.

All you need to do is add a 1/2 teaspoon of the kitchen staple to a quart of water, then boil your eggs like you normally would.

It turns out boiling your eggs with baking soda in the pot of water can actually make the shell easier to peel. According to Prevention, the method works by raising the pH levels of the eggs—gotta love science!—which practically makes the shell slide right off (talk about a holiday miracle). To try it out for yourself, all you need to do is add a 1/2 teaspoon of the kitchen staple to a quart of water, then boil your eggs like you normally would.

After the time is up, you’ll be amazed at how much quicker you can de-shell your eggs. Because of the change in pH, those once-tiny pieces become larger sections that are much easier to manage. Basically, you’ll be out of the kitchen in record time…and will no longer live in fear of taking a big bite of crunchy leftover shell. As if you needed another reason to stock up on the multi-tasking superstar, here you go.

Here’s how to avoid egg burnout during Whole30. Or, meet the three-ingredient upgrade to a boring boiled egg breakfast that blew Oprah’s mind.