Published: March 15, 2020Updated: January 22, 2021Author:Amy
Pickled Eggs are a perfect lip-smacking snack or condiment for salad, made from hard boiled eggs soaking in a sweet and tangy vinegar marinade. This old fashioned recipe is so easy and so good!
Many years ago, long before the ability to refrigerate things, canning and pickling foods was used as a way to preserve fruits and vegetables for longer term storage. Now people do it because it’s just simply delicious!
Usually around Easter time when everyone is decorating their eggs, I’m over here pickling mine. HA. I actually make pickled eggs all year round – my family loves them. Along with my soy sauce eggs and beet pickled eggs, they are such a great on-the-go snack.
What Do Picked Eggs Taste Like?
Pickled eggs have a mouth-watering sweet and sour taste. Sort of like salt and vinegar potato chips! If you like bread and butter pickles, pickled beets, or sauerkraut, you will love them.
How To Make Pickled Eggs
This pickled eggs recipe could not be easier! With just a few simple steps and pantry items, you end up with a super healthy and delicious snack. (Scroll down for the full printable recipe.)
You’ll need 10 hard boiled eggs that have been peeled.
Boil together a mixture of vinegar, water, sugar, pickling spice, and salt.
Fill a clean 2-liter glass jar with your eggs.
Tuck in some sliced red onion and fresh dill sprigs.
Pour the brine over the eggs and seal.
Store in the refrigerator.
Recipe Variations
Apple cider vinegar is a staple in my house, so that’s what I always use. But you can replace it with regular white vinegar, if that’s what you have.
Add some sliced up jalapeños to the liquid to give your eggs a little kick!
Instead of using this dill and onion marinade, use leftover beet juice brine from pickled beets and make Beet Pickled Eggs. They’re awesome…and so pretty!
Do Pickled Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated?
Yes! This recipe for old fashioned pickled eggs is not canned, but instead requires refrigeration and should never be kept out at room temperature to prevent botulism (according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation.)
How Long Do Pickled Eggs Last?
Your eggs can be eaten after only a few hours of marinating, but for best results, allow your eggs to pickle for 5-7 days, which allows that salty-vinegar brine to penetrate the eggs and produce a deeper flavor.
Once they’re sealed in an airtight jar, your pickled eggs will last for up to 3 months in the fridge!
Today pickled eggs are commonly found at bars, convenience stores, and the market, but they’re so easy to make yourself!
Other Pickled foods we love!
Pickled Beets
Beet Pickled Eggs
Bread and Butter Pickles
Soy Sauce Eggs
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onFacebook,Instagram,Pinterest, andYouTube!
Pickled Eggs
4.86 from 14 Ratings
Pickled Eggs are a perfect lip-smacking snack or condiment for salad, made from hard boiled eggs soaking in a sweet and tangy vinegar marinade. This old fashioned recipe is so easy and so good!
Make hard boiled eggs and peel them (<< that link is my preferred method.)
In a medium saucepan, mix together vinegar, water, sugar, pickling spice, and salt. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in the garlic and bay leaf; remove from heat.
Fill a clean 2-liter glass jar with your eggs.
Tuck in some sliced red onion and fresh dill sprigs.
Pour the brine over the eggs and seal.
Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Your eggs can be eaten after only a few hours of marinating, but for best results, allow your eggs to pickle for 5-7 days, which allows that salty-vinegar brine to penetrate the eggs and produce a deeper flavor.
Once they’re sealed in an airtight jar, your pickled eggs will last for up to 3 months in the fridge!
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Other Notes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pickled eggs, pickled eggs recipe
Did you make this recipe?Snap a picture and mention @bellyfullblog!
How do you avoid pickled eggs with a rubbery texture? The vinegar in the pickling liquid will toughen the egg's texture, making pickled eggs more rubbery over time. To avoid rubbery eggs, plan to eat the pickles within two weeks.
Add the eggs, make sure they are submerged (you can top them off with an additional 1-2 tablespoons water if you need to). Cover and chill overnight. The eggs will intensify in flavor and color the longer they are pickled. We suggest waiting at least 2-3 days before eating them.
Once opened, any canned or pickled food should be refrigerated. Pricking, poking holes, or otherwise handling whole eggs in a manner that might allow spores or bacteria into the yolk should be avoided.
The CDC further cautions that to reduce the risk for botulism when pickling, food items should be washed and cooked adequately, and utensils, containers, and other surfaces in contact with food, including cutting boards and hands, should be cleaned thoroughly with soap and warm water.
And If the eggs sit in that liquid too long, you get rubbery eggs. There's a simple enough way to avoid this problem. You want the pickling liquid to do its job in the beginning, and then after the eggs have reached the proper degree of pickling, you can dilute the solution with some water.
Starting with cold water lets you heat the egg more slowly, which keeps the whites from getting rubbery. But this method takes longer and gives you less control over the cooking time. (How long it takes the water to reach boiling depends on the size and shape of your pot, among other things.)
How many pickled eggs should (can) I eat a day? So, we did some more digging, and found that eating one egg a day wasn't going to kill you; in fact, it may actually REDUCE heart disease. Other studies have shown no ill effects on people who have consumed up to 12 eggs a week!
Heavy metals in the eggs, especially the lead oxide once used in preserved eggs, pose a health risk to consumers, while the residual heavy metals in the pickling liquid can harm the environment if not properly disposed.
Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.
How many times can I reuse pickle juice? To be on the safe side, we wouldn't recommend reusing it more than once, although some say you can safely reuse it 2 or 3 times. Again, watch for changes in the clarity of the brine. BONUS!
Consider that leaving pickled eggs in room temperature conditions resulted in a case of foodborne botulism, as reported by the CDC. After eating the homemade eggs, a person developed significant nausea and stomach pain.
How Long Before You Can Eat Pickled Eggs? Give the eggs at least 24 hours in the pickling brine before you eat one. That way, the flavors have time to penetrate the egg. A few days is even better.
The container used for the eggs should be one that can be closed or sealed tightly; glass canning jars work well. The eggs are to be completely covered with the pickling solution during storage. A quart-size canning jar will hold about one dozen medium sized eggs.
Because vinegar is high in acid, it does not support the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. However, some vinegars may support the growth of Escherichia coli bacteria. Infused oils have the potential to support the growth of C. botulinum bacteria.
If you choose to use plastic containers, make sure that the containers are food grade and have not been used for non-food items. The safest option for pickles is glass jars. At Container & Packaging Supply, we have many glass jars that will work perfectly for all of your pickling endeavors.
The best way to make sure your eggs don't turn dry and rubbery is to not overcook them. When less heat is applied, there isn't time to squeeze out all the moisture. So your eggs stay tender, not chewy.
When eggs are cooked past their semi-solid state, the water that is still inside the egg begins to evaporate. With enough heat and time, it disappears completely. This also causes the proteins to contract tightly and makes the texture of the eggs turn into a rubbery mess.
Experiment to see which method works best for you. Add moisture: Adding a splash of milk, cream, or water to your eggs can help prevent them from becoming rubbery. Use fresh eggs: Fresh eggs tend to be more flavorful and have a better texture than older eggs.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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