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Pickled eggs are a popular bar or pub food in the United States and the United Kingdom. They are boiled eggs that are pickled with spices. You can learn how to make pickled eggs at home, and they can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.
Steps
Boil Eggs
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1Choose your eggs carefully. The following guidelines will help improve the taste of your homemade pickled eggs.
- Try to get farm fresh or free range eggs. The higher quality of the eggs, the better the yolk will taste. Visit your local farmer's market to buy farm fresh eggs.
- Since the eggs will be stored in the refrigerator before eating, you should choose eggs that are fairly fresh. However, make sure they are at least a few days old, since peeling fresh eggs can be difficult.
- Choose small to medium eggs. The spices will penetrate the eggs more easily, resulting in a better taste.
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2Place 6 to 8 eggs in a medium saucepan.Advertisement
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3Cover them with water. Make sure there are 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5cm) of water above the eggs.
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4Pour a splash of distilled white vinegar into the water. This will help to keep the eggs inside their shells if they break.
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5Heat the eggs to a low boil, using medium-high heat. A roiling boil may crack the eggs.
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6Cover the pan, turn off the burner and move them to another burner.
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7Allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for 15 minutes.
- Some people prefer to hard boil the eggs by placing them in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes. This depends upon your taste preference, since some people believe slightly softer yolks taste better.
- Remove any eggs that cracked during the boiling process. These will not pickle well and should be used or eaten immediately.
Sterilize a Jar
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1Wash a large glass jar and lid with hot soapy water.
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2Preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius).
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3Place the jar, open side up on a cookie sheet. Place the lid with inside out beside it.
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4Stick the cookie sheet in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove it and allow it to cool on the counter.
Use an Ice Bath
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1Fill a large bowl of water with several cups of ice.
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2Pour cold water into the bowl.
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3Transfer the boiled eggs to the ice bath. Allow them to sit submerged for approximately 5 minutes.
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4Remove an egg from the ice bath. Crack it against the counter and peel it carefully. Repeat with the other eggs.
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5Dip the egg back in the ice bath to remove any small bits of shell that have accumulated.
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6Place the peeled eggs in your sterilized jar.
Make a Brine
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1Pour 6 cups (1.4l) of water into a large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup (0.1l) of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup (49g) of granulated sugar.
- You can also substitute canned beet juice for part of the water to increase the intensity of the brining color.
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2Add the seasonings of your choice. If this is your first time making pickled eggs, try 1 tbsp. (18g) of salt, 3 tbsp. (18g) of pepper flakes and 6 peppercorns.
- For curried pickled eggs, try 1 tbsp. (6g) of yellow curry powder, 1 tsp. (2g) of mustard seeds, 3 cardamom pods and 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar.
- You may choose to increase the amount of vinegar in your pickling brine to a ration of 1 cup water to 1 cup vinegar.
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3Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
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4Add 1 small chopped red beet. You can use a fresh beet or a canned beet.
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5Turn down the heat. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.
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6Remove the brine from heat. Strain it through a mesh sieve.
Pickle the Eggs
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow long do the eggs need to pickle before they can be eaten?Community AnswerFor flavor you should wait at least 24 hrs. I like to wait 2-3 days.
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QuestionDoes beet juice need to be hot to pickle eggs?Community AnswerNo, were you to use too many hot ingredients you would in the end have a bunch of egg bricks. The beet juice is actually only there to add color but very little flavor would transfer into the eggs due to the acidic levels already involved. As an alternative, you may just add 4-6 drops of red food coloring to your recipe and not even have to bother with the beets.
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QuestionWhy do I need a glass jar?Community AnswerGlass is much better at withstanding heat than plastic is, and you'll be using heat for some parts of this method. Also, plastic containers tend to leach chemicals into the liquid that is stored in them. This may affect the flavor of the liquid (and food).
Warnings
- Never store pickled eggs at room temperature. This can cause botulism poisoning. Throw away any eggs that have been at room temperature for more than 1 hour.⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You'll Need
- Eggs
- Saucepan
- Vinegar
- Water
- Ice bath
- Large glass jar
- Sugar
- Red beet
- Salt
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Peppercorns
- Mesh sieve
- Refrigerator
- Measuring cups/spoons
References
About This Article
To make pickled eggs, start by hard-boiling 6-8 eggs, then submerge them in an ice bath for 5 minutes. Next, remove the shells and place the peeled eggs inside a sterilized glass jar. Combine water, apple cider vinegar, and the seasonings of your choice to create the brine and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, pour the hot brine over the eggs in the glass jar, screw the lid on, and refrigerate them for 3 days before serving them! For tips on sterilizing glass jars for pickling, read on!