Pickled eggs are a tangy, salty snack. They’re basically hard-boiled eggs preserved and flavored in vinegar brine with spices. They’re made to last anywhere between a day to a few months. As the boiled eggs cure in the pickling solution, their color may change depending on how long they are kept in the refrigerator.
In some recipes, the eggs may even take on various colors based on the ingredients added to the pickling solution.
Read on to learn how to make pickled eggs and some variations to the classic recipe.
Eggs used for pickling should have clean shells. Small or medium-sized eggs are best so that the brine can easily penetrate the egg. It’s also better to use fresh eggs to ensure the highest quality possible since they’ll be stored for a relatively long period. If you don’t have access to fresh eggs, you can use store-bought eggs that are a few days old. These will peel better after boiling.
Pickling solutions are usually heated to boiling and simmered before being poured over the eggs. This is mostly because the egg whites tend to be more tender if the pickling solution used is hot and not room temperature.
If you’d like to try your hand at pickled eggs, just follow this recipe:
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If the eggs can’t move freely inside the jar, remove an egg or two. Give the jar a gentle shake before putting it in the refrigerator to ensure that the brine can easily reach all sides of the eggs.
Don’t can pickled eggs. Pickled eggs aren’t safe for canning, no matter how much vinegar and salt you use. This is actually the main reason pickled egg recipes are so variable. Because you’re not really trying to preserve your eggs, the pickling solution is more about the flavor.
According to experts, eggs take a long time to soak up the vinegar. In fact, even if eggs are left in brine for more than two weeks, the brine may never actually penetrate and reach the center of the eggs. In contrast, cucumbers and other vegetables commonly pickled are able to quickly absorb the brine.
With all this in mind, know that canning pickled eggs is not safe and can even be deadly. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported cases of foodborne botulism from eating home-canned pickled eggs. Botulism is caused by a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This condition can cause paralysis, respiratory failure and death.
If classic pickled eggs seem too plain for you, try this colorful variation featuring beets.
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This recipe is a take on the classic bread-and-butter pickles made with cucumbers. It is said that these pickles got their name from the Depression Era meal of thinly sliced pickled cucumbers between slices of buttered bread. They’re sometimes made with turmeric to give the vinegar a vibrant yellow color.
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Pickled eggs make for a tasty, healthy snack. Try them today by following the recipes shared above.
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