Did you know that you can pickle eggs? It may come as a surprise to some people; however, pickling eggs is one of the old-fashioned ways to preserve eggs long-term in many countries. I'm sharing with you a baseline recipe created by my grandma, but it can be altered in many ways to suit your taste As your confidence grows.
The recipe is based on filling a 2lt jar, which will require approximately 20 to 24 eggs. Feel free to size down the quantities, incase you are not sure whether you are going to like pickled eggs, however if you like pickles, there is absolutely no reason why you would not like the eggs.
Ingredients:
- 20/24 hard-boiled eggs
- 4 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoons dill seeds
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions:
1. Hard-Boil the Eggs:
- Place the eggs in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 9-12 minutes. The eggs should be hard-boiled but not overcooked. Once done, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool and make peeling easier.
2. Peel the Eggs:
- Once the eggs have cooled, peel them carefully. You can gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell and then peel it off. Ensure that you remove every tiny bit of the shell, as any remaining pieces can discolor the brine and give it a dull appearance. Also, avoid using eggs with exposed yolks, as during the pickling process, the yolk can flake off and make your brine cloudy. While it’s entirely safe to consume, it may not look as appealing.
3. Prepare the Pickling Solution:
- In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients , bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to awaken the spices and combine all the flavours together.
4. Cool the Pickling Solution:
- Remove the pickling solution from the heat and let it cool slightly. The solution should be slightly warm but not too hot, as we don't want to crack the jar
5. Layer the Eggs:
- In a clean, sterile glass jar, arrange the peeled hard-boiled eggs. You can layer them with sliced onions, garlic if desired.
6. Pour the Pickling Solution:
Once the pickling solution has cooled, pour it over the eggs in the jar. Ensure that the eggs are completely submerged in the liquid. Keep in mind that the eggs may float to the top, especially if the jar is not completely filled with eggs. However, it’s perfectly fine as long as the jar is filled with the vinegar solution to the top.
7. Seal and Refrigerate:
- Seal the jar with an airtight lid and place it in the refrigerator. Allow the pickled eggs to marinate for at least a week before enjoying. The longer they sit, the more flavour they'll absorb.
If you wanted to make them shelf stable without the refrigeration, follow the same recipe but dont dilute vinegar with water. It will created a much stronger flavour but you don't have to keep them in the fridge.
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