time to pickle some eggs

[kimble]

I like pickled eggs, my father used to make them, his mother did........... They, and I, always pickle them with some cooked beetroot which gives a really good flavor, turns the egg a shocking purple, and also gives you pickled beet. The best addition to a salad - a quartered pickled egg and a slice of the beet. Within 4 days the purple is just getting to the yolk, in a week it is purple too - beautiful.

I do not like them nearly as much after a week, the flavor is best from the second day to the eighth.

Two problems - I have chickens so my eggs are fresh, and fresh eggs will not peel and I forgot to put a dozen aside for 10 days. I once borrowed an egg steamer and they peeled beautifully - anyone try that? (grow the beets too)

The other thing is I never remember to write down a recipe so have to come up with one anew each batch. Here is a batch with the pickling liquid just poured on, you use the water from boiling the beets.



And then later after the purple has gone through. I keep them in the refrigerator but I do not know if that is needed - on the kitchen window sill



I will try to get a recipe together - I just read a couple on-line and make the amounts up. Anyone do these? Really good. Basically beet water, white vinegar, bit of pickling spices, and some sugar all boiled and poured hot over the eggs.

[Lisasbolt]

I hate beetroot and do not think i have ever tried a pickled egg, but gosh it does look pretty and the sound of a pink egg sounds wonderful

[Alison]

The only contact I've ever had with pickled eggs is the jar that always sits on the shelf at every chippy you ever go in. We always joke that nobody has ever bought one so I'm even more amused to hear of somebody making them - sorry, don't mean anything bad by this, just easily amused

[Bal]

I tasted on once from the chippy. Not my thing at all. I do have a friend who loves them though. I can make him some for his birthday now

[bearded bloke]

Ohhhhhhh, pub's & pickled eggs. the only eating competition I've ever entered & lost was pickled eggs in a pub To anyone entering one ........ keep eating the eggs, as soon as you pause for a drink you've lost

[Scarlet]

I'm not keen on pickled eggs but my brother loves them with a pint. I make mine with white vinegar because I don't like them when they take on any colour.

[muddled]

I've often thought of making these....usually when the girls are in full lay and I'm peering out from beneath an egg mountain
But I've never tasted a pickled egg and for some reason, cannot even begin to imagine what they're actually like.

Is it worth trying one from the chippy?
Or do they taste infinitely better home made so there's no comparison?

I love beetroot raw, roasted, pickled and any other way I can get them and my daughter would be so impressed with a purple egg!

[Scarlet]

They aren't "too bad" when you've made them yourself but the fish and chip shop ones are disgusting. They've sat in the pickle so long that all you taste is pickle.

As for the egg mountain. I freeze my eggs. I used to give loads away during peak laying season but I don't anymore. I don't buy any eggs at all now. The frozen obviously aren't as nice as fresh eggs but the are fine in omelettes, frittatas and scrambled eggs. They just need whisking in a little milk as they are really thick once defrosted. All my cakes in the winter use frozen eggs, Yorkshire puds etc. I honestly don't think you can tell the difference.
I weigh my eggs for cake baking so I'll bag up in 100g, 150g etc or if I haven't got time, in bags of 2 or 4.
Can't wait to get my hands on a fresh egg at the moment....that first poached egg of the season is delicious!

[veggiechicken]

Pickled eggs give me the eebiejeebies. They make me think of eyeballs in a laboratory jar. The beetroot juice looks like blood. Wish I didn't have an overactive imagination
I did eat a pickled egg once - as a dare - in a pub. Never again.
i'm sure homemade ones are much nicer

[Elfeda]

we do pickled egg with totally diff spices and looks like roasted duck in pasted redchilli,onion and venigar marinade.



welcome to the vine kimble. seems you are very experinced grower

[muddled]

Can't wait to get my hands on a fresh egg at the moment....that first poached egg of the season is delicious!

Me too.
I have two eggs in the kitchen so one of the girls is already gearing up for spring but they've been on wormer the last seven days so the dogs get the eggs until Monday.
(pure silliness I know but I'm squeamish about such things)

[Jungle Jane]

I've never tried a pickled egg,but I do like pickled onions. Maybe is it something to do with a lab jar,like when they had aliens in those containers on the film alien. I know an egg isn't a baby bird when you crack it open but you know,sometimes your brain has strange thoughts & decides things behind your back in your subconscious mind. I would like to own chickens but don't have the space or knowledge yet. Freezing eggs sounds excellent Scarlet,they'd last longer that way. I do like beetroot,maybe beetroot pickled onions?

[Small pumpkin]

I'm not a huge fan of pickled eggs. I used to do pickled quail eggs ( before the mink eat my quail). I like smoked eggs. Boil and peel as you would for pickling sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cold smoke for 6-8 hours. Lovely

[kimble]

"Is it worth trying one from the chippy?
Or do they taste infinitely better home made so there's no comparison?"

They are infinitely better home made. I make mine with not enough vinegar to make them shelf stable, and you eat them in a week - 10 days. In spring I will be growing loads of lettuce, then toms and cukes - salads and salads - the quartered egg is wonderful. These ones have gotten purple throughout - lovely olives, garden veg, beet, slice feta cheese - fantastic

[Alison]

I make mine with not enough vinegar to make them shelf stable, and you eat them in a week - 10 days.

How many do you make at a time? Am guessing if you have to eat them so quickly you need to do them in very small batches.