I think one of my next adventures will be to make pickled eggs. In my research of home canning techniques I have been a bit obsessed about food safety. I don't want to be sending any of my friends or family to the hospital with botulism. There are some neat resources I've found along the way to safely make pickled eggs. These recipes are from a fact sheet put out by Washington State University. When doing home canning universities are a great source of food safety tips and surprisingly, tried-and-true recipes.
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1104/eb1104.pdf
Pickled eggs are hard-cooked eggs that have been soaked in a solution of vinegar, salt, spices and other seasonings. Besides being a conversation topic at a party with their bright colors, pickled eggs are tasty and nutritious. They can contribute to your meals as part of the main course at dinner, as hors d’oeuvres, garnishes for salads, deviled eggs, and diced ingredients.
Selecting Eggs for Pickling
Select eggs with clean sound shells which are not extremely fresh. Eggs a few days old will peel
better. You can also use very small eggs such as quail eggs.
Cooking, Peeling, and Pickling
Cover eggs completely with cold water and bring quickly to near boiling. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Always cook eggs at moderate temperatures since overcooking makes them tough and can cause gray discoloration around the yolk. Cool the eggs as rapidly as possible by running cold water over them. Crack the entire shell around the egg for easier peeling. Begin peeling at the large end where the air cell is usually located. Peeling under running water can help remove all the thin shell membranes.
PICKLED EGGS
Pack one dozen or so medium-sized eggs loosely in a quart jar so the container will hold plenty of
pickling solution. Any container that can be closed tightly is satisfactory. Pour the hot pickling solution over the eggs, cover the container and put it into the refrigerator. Pickled eggs must be stored in the refrigerator for safety. Be sure that the eggs are covered with the pickling solution during storage. The eggs are ready for serving when the pickling solution has seasoned all parts of the egg. It takes at least one week to season small eggs and from two to four weeks for medium and large eggs. Do not leave pickled eggs at room temperature other than during the period of time for serving (2 hours or less). Pickled eggs will retain quality for several months in the refrigerator.
Preparing the Pickling Solution
There are many recipes for pickling solutions. The recipes in this publication are a sampling of
solutions which have been tested under home storage conditions. For the following recipes, heat the mixture to near boiling and simmer for five minutes. Pour the solution over the hard-cooked eggs in a quart jar or other suitable container which can be closed tightly. Cover and immediately store in
the refrigerator until seasoned.
Recipes for One Quart of Pickled Eggs
DILLED EGGS
11/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 teaspoon dill seed
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon onion juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
SWEET AND SOUR EGGS
11/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 package (about 12 oz.) red cinnamon candy
1 tablespoon mixed pickling spice
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
SPICY EGGS
11/2 cups apple cider
1 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon mixed pickling spice
1 clove peeled garlic
1/2 sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
DARK AND SPICY EGGS
11/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon mixed pickling spice
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke or hickory smoke salt
2 teaspoons salt
RED BEET EGGS
1 cup liquid from beet pickles
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
a few small canned red beets (can be sliced)
