To make a pickled eggs recipe all you need is the pickle juice from your latest jar of dill pickles. Just peel the eggs and drop them into the jar. Within three days the hard boiled eggs will have taken on a new and very yummy flavor. If you have even more eggs than will fit in a jar of pickled eggs, make a batch of deliciously wicked deviled eggs.
As finger food, pickled egg appetizers make the cut deliciously. Either slice the eggs for individual pieces of finger food or leave the egg intact to create a whole egg appetizer. Another subtle way to enhance the taste of pickled eggs is to garnish the egg with some type of spice such as dill weed, sea salt and coarse black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
How to Make a Pickled Eggs Recipe
If you don’t have a jar of pickle juice on hand, it’s still easy to turn a dozen hard boiled eggs into a dozen pickled eggs. Start with a clean (preferably sterilized) canning jar or even an old jar from store bought foods. Since the jar will not be placed into a pressure canner, or be required to seal, it won’t matter if the jar and lid are used. Once you have sterilized the jar and lid, set them aside and prepare the eggs.
How to Make Boiled Eggs
In an attempt to make hard boiled eggs that peel easily, add salt to the pan, poke a hole in the large end of the eggs and then place them in a pan in a single layer and cover them with two inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat, cover it and allow the eggs to sit for about 15 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pan and place them into an ice cold water bath for one minute. Meanwhile, put the water back on the burner and bring it to a simmer. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the eggs out of the cold water and place them into the simmering water. Simmer for ten seconds, which is just enough time for the shells to expand. Peel immediately.
Peeling hard-boiled eggs under cold running water also helps. However, it's safe to note that sometimes, regardless of the tricks used when peeling hard-boiled eggs, eggs are just stubborn and don’t peel smoothly.
Recipe for Pickling Eggs
The recipe for pickled eggs is an easy one and is a welcome addition to any relish tray. If it’s a certain flavor you seek, however, experimentation is the only way to go. When making pickled eggs recipes, as with all recipes, it is the blend of ingredients that will determine the end result. Treat your own individual palate. If there is a subtle taste you crave, add it to your pickled eggs and make this recipe your own.
Some spices will add too much flavor and some not enough. The ultimate test is learning what tastes work well for you and then creating your own concoctions. Mix and match all you want, but do not fudge on the amount of vinegar, as that is the preserving agent.
If you want to spice up your pickled eggs recipe, add a few hot peppers. If you want eggs that taste like dill, add one or two heads of dill to the jar before you add the eggs. If you’re searching for a mild pickling taste, add vinegar and a few pickling spices. Garlic cloves will add a bolder flavor and bay leaves will bring the taste up a notch to savory, but if you’re looking for the most popular flavor, just stick with good old fashion pickle juice.
The recipe below offers a similar taste to homemade pickles without the dill. If you want the dilly taste as well, add a few heads of dill to the jar before you add the eggs.
Pickled Eggs Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3-4 cups vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup fresh onion rings
- 1 tablespoon pickling spices
- 1/4 cup white or brown sugar
Directions:
- For an in-your-face spicy mix, omit the sugar and add two garlic cloves, two dill heads and 1/8 teaspoon of red cayenne pepper.
- Fill the sterilized jar with peeled hard-boiled eggs and set the jar aside. Meanwhile, use a deep saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining ingredients. Bring the solution to a boil and then pour it over the eggs. Allow to cool slightly and then cap and refrigerate.
- Adding about 1/2 cup sliced beets to the mix will give the pickles a rosy blush and also add the more earthy taste of beets to the pickles.
How Long Will Pickled Eggs Last
While many will argue that pickled eggs can remain on the shelf because they are in a vinegar solution, they would be wrong. In some cases dead wrong. Pickled eggs that are stored at room temperature can develop botulism. Since the botulism bacteria can be deadly, it’s imperative that homemade pickled eggs as well as store bought pickled eggs are stored in the refrigerator.
Pickled eggs should not remain out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. Pickled eggs may last up to five or six months in the refrigerator, but are best when eaten within three months.
If you don’t have any ingredients but still have a taste for pickled eggs, drop a few eggs into the pickle jar and let them steep for a few days. For some of the best finger foods around, add sliced pickled eggs to the relish tray or the vegetable tray at your next party and watch them disappear.
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Helen Polaski - Helen Polaski (Szymanski) began her writing career in 1985 as a newspaper journalist and editor. She has compiled and edited eight ...
