February 01, 2010

Frugal Preserving Food - Pickled Eggs


In keeping with the fermented foods and egg posts I present pickled eggs. Don't ask me how long they last because they disappear from my fridge almost immediately.

Like all fermented foods, pickling eggs is easily accomplished with the correct timing. Air gets into an egg as it ages, so the peel comes off easily from an older egg. For this reason I reserve my cleanest eggs for 2 months before I make pickled eggs.

Usually, this time of year, we have eaten all the dill pickles and pickled hot peppers. I use excellent organic apple cider vinegar for these and hated to throw it out when the pickles were gone. This vinegar is excellent to add to soups and salads. Still, when the pickles were consumed we kept the jars of vinegar in the fridge to pickle the eggs in.

Bring the eggs to the boil like as described in my previous post, Eggs Are Good.
Peel the egg trying to keep the egg attractive with the yolk inside. My eggs are so super that the yolk are huge making this almost impossible. I am sure I could pickle them, but they make the vinegar clouding and unappealing. I make egg salad out of the duds. Egg salad, eggs, mayo, dry mustard, salt and pepper, celery, grated carrots and dill pickles - mmm.

Well back to the pickled eggs. Peel them and put them into the jars. Fill the jar as much as you can without packing them so tight that the vinegar can't engulf all the eggs. I love the spicy hot pepper eggs out of hand and the dill pickle eggs are excellent in salads, especially potato salad. I give the vinegar to my chickens and would never reuse the vinegar after the eggs are gone. Could it be any easier?

Can you tell it is dinner time for me? Peace


17 comments:

  1. I have never eaten pickled eggs, but I hear that is very popular...
    What do they taste like?
    Do they need to be in vinegar some time before eaten?

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  2. My first visit to your blog and I loved this post. I have been wondering what to do with the abundance of eggs my free range chicks leave for me. Thanks! I am looking forward to keeping up with your post.

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  3. I use about 5 eggs in a jar and the fortified vinegar which prevents clouding. For a spicy egg, a teaspoon full of pickling spice and a SMALL bit of garlic add a special kick.

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  4. Hello Ruralrose, found your blog via Subsistence Pattern. I am always happy to find other people who grow their food and preserve it!

    Do you heat up the vinegar before pouring on the eggs? do you do with cold eggs or just after the eggs have been cooked?

    Thanks a lot

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  5. I will definately do this one ruth!!!!

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  6. Ha! I finished a jar of homemade pickles the other day and saved the brine for I didn't know what. Now I know, as after reading your post I boiled up some eggs and tossed them in.:) Thanks!

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  7. All good questions, somehow I knew people would ask the sticky ones. Pickled eggs are delicious treat because the texture is smooth and creamy like a truffle. They don't taste vinegary in the middle. They should sit in the vinegar for 5 days at least to get this affect. I don't heat the vinegar, I didn't heat it for the peppers either, but that is just me, your home economics teacher would probably frown on this. Although, after much on-line research and 20 years of doing them this way I see no problem with it. I should add I always wash the lids and vinegar jar rims with new vinegar and paper towel before refilling. You must let the eggs cool after cooking so the yolks don't go gray. They are stone cold when I put them in the vinegar. Ian has a good idea there, I wonder what fortified vinegar is? Thanks for visiting everyone, I am off the read your blogs now. Peace

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  8. Reducing, recycling and reusing - seems like a perfect recipe to me - thanks for the visit Mr. H., what spices did you have in the brine? Peace

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  9. We used garlic, dill seeds and fronds, horesradish, and grape leaf.:)

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  10. Sounds wonderful. I am lucky enough to have grape leaves too, they sure keep dills crunchy. Thanks for sharing, peace.

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  11. This is such a wonderful memory to me! My Grandpa always made pickled eggs. I thought he was the only one. Have a great day.

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  12. Isn't it wonderful how food is connected to love! Thanks for the visit. Peace

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  13. Fortified vinegar is just pickling vinegar, quite a bit stronger than the normal table vinegar. For you that like your pickled eggs really spicy, also add a pea sized piece of fresh ginger root to the 5 egg batch. Go careful on this amount though or all your sinuses will be burned out! Tasty, though!

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  14. This is such a good old time recipe .. I'm going to try it!

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  15. thanks Mrs. Mac, i enjoyed your blog very much too, always want to learn something new too - peace for all

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  16. I put 2 whole red chilli's in with mine, add that bit of zing! also a couple of star anise makes a nice tast too

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