How to Make Salted Eggs

Salted eggs are native to Chinese and Filipino cuisines. The process traditionally calls for duck eggs, but you can use chicken eggs when duck eggs are unavailable. You can consume the finished eggs alone after boiling them, but you can also use salted eggs as ingredients for moon cakes and other foods.

Ingredients

Makes 12 eggs

12 duck eggs or chicken eggs
5 cups (1.25 L) water
1 cup (250 ml) sea salt or rock salt

Optional Seasonings

1 to 2 Tbsp (15 to 30 ml) Shaoxing wine
4 star anise
1 Tbsp (15 ml) Szechuan peppercorns

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Egg Prep

1
Wash and dry the eggs. Rinse the eggs under cool, running water while using your fingers to gently scrub away any dirt or debris. Dry the eggs with clean paper towels.
- While cleaning the eggs, inspect the shells for cracks. Discard any cracked eggs and keep the whole eggs.
- Duck eggs are preferred over chicken eggs for this recipe, but either will work. Duck eggs have tougher shells, and the yolks are both larger and oilier than those of chicken eggs. All of these traits can improve the taste and texture of the salted eggs.^{[1]
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2
Sterilize the container. Bring extra water to a boil inside a kettle, then pour the water into the container you plan to use for the salted eggs.
- Glass or ceramic containers work best, and the container should also have a lid. You can also use multiple containers; for instance, you could use two or three 1-pint (500-ml) glass canning jars.
- If the container will crack under intense heat, do not sterilize it with boiling water. Clean it with warm water and soap instead, rinsing well to remove any residue.
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3
Place the eggs in the jar. Carefully stack the clean eggs in the clean jar. Be gentle to avoid cracking the shells.
- Try to leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of empty head space in between the eggs and the top of the jar. You can have more empty space than that, but if there's less empty space, the brine may not cover the eggs adequately well once you add it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Making the Brine

1
Boil the water. Pour 5 cups (1.25 L) of water into a medium saucepan. Set it on the stove over medium heat and bring the water to a full boil.
2
Dissolve the salt. Gradually add the salt to the boiling water, stirring after each addition. Dissolve the full amount of salt in the water before continuing.
- The goal is to fully saturate the water with salt. In other words, the water should become so salty that additional salt will no longer dissolve.
- If you are unable to dissolve some of the salt after adding it, do not add any more, even if you haven't used the full amount yet.
3
Add the optional spices. If you wish to add spices to the brine, do so now. Star anise and Szechuan peppercorns are the most traditional.^{[2]
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- Adding spices to the brine can give the salted eggs a richer taste.
- You could add other spices alongside the star anise and peppercorns, too. Red chili peppers, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and whole black cardamoms are among some of the most popular choices.
- If you don't have any of these spices, you could also use 1 to 2 Tbsp (15 to 30 ml) of your favorite tea leaves. The egg shells will deepen in color if you take this option.
4
Cool the brine. Remove the brine from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Do not pour hot brine over the raw eggs. Doing so could cause the egg shells to crack.
5
Add the optional wine. If you wish to add the Shaoxing wine, do so now. Stir well to fully distribute the wine throughout the brine.
- Adding the wine to the brine will enhance the taste while changing the yolk to an orange-red color. It should also mask the odor of the eggs while restricting the growth of bacteria. This step isn't strictly necessary, though.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Adding the Brine

1
Pour the brine over the eggs. Pour the cooled brine solution over the eggs in the jar. The brine must cover the eggs completely.
- If the brine does not cover the eggs, top off the containers with additional room temperature water.
- Leave at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.6 to 1.25 cm) of empty head space in between the surface of the brine and the top edge of the jar.
2
Weigh down the eggs. Some of the eggs may float the top of the brine as the eggs sit. To keep the eggs submerged throughout the entire process, place a sealed plastic bag filled with additional water on top of the eggs.
- Some people prefer to use a small plate to weigh down the eggs, which may also work well. If you choose that option, pick a relatively light plate to avoid crushing the eggs on accident.
- If the lid of the container sits relatively deep, it alone might be enough to keep the eggs submerged, especially if the eggs and brine nearly fill the container to the top.
3
Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Cover the container with its lid and let the eggs sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.^{[3]
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- During this time, the brine should begin permeating the shells of the eggs. It will be easier for this process to start while the eggs are still at room temperature.
4
Store the jar for 30 days. Place the jar in a cool location and keep it there for about one month.
- A refrigerator, cellar, or cool garage would work well.
- Some recipes recommend cool storage, but others recommend room temperature storage. Cool storage can help preserve the eggs for a longer period, but either method could work.
5
Test the eggs. After 28 to 30 days pass, remove one egg and test it. You can test the egg raw or cooked.
- If you use chicken eggs instead of duck eggs, you may need to test an egg after the first three weeks instead of waiting until after the fourth.
- To test the egg raw, crack it open and examine the yolk. It should be firm and darker in color than a standard raw yolk would be. If the yolk runs, the remaining eggs will need additional brining time.
- To test the egg cooked, hard boil the egg before breaking it open. The yolk should be deep in color, very oily, and very salty. If you'd prefer saltier eggs, give the remaining eggs additional brining time.
6
Continue storing as desired. If the eggs are not ready yet, seal the container again and continue storing them for another week or so.
- You can brine the eggs up to 50 days, but you shouldn't let them sit out beyond that period of time.
- Longer brining times will result in saltier egg whites and oilier egg yolks.
7
Rinse the eggs when ready. When the salted eggs have the taste and texture you prefer, remove them from the brine and rinse the eggs under cool, running water.
- Dry the eggs with clean paper towels and transfer them to a clean egg carton.
- Discard the leftover brine.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Serving Suggestions

1
Boil the eggs. If you'd like to eat the salted eggs on their own, you should boil the eggs in water before consumption.
- To boil the eggs:
  - Place the eggs into a large saucepan and cover them with cool water.
  - Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil.
  - After 1 minute, turn off the heat and cover the saucepan. Allow the eggs to continue cooking for a total of 20 minutes, or until they reach your desired level of doneness.
  - Cool the boiled eggs under cold water.
2
Use the raw eggs in recipes. If you'd rather not eat the eggs plain, you can use raw salted eggs in many traditional Chinese recipes.
- Consider using the salted eggs when making moon cakes or rice dumplings. You can also cook the salted eggs by mixing them into stir-fries, congee, or soup.
3
Refrigerate any unused eggs. Raw salted eggs can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to one month. Boiled salted eggs can be refrigerated up to one week.

Community Q&A

Question

Does the number of eggs affect the saltiness of each egg?

Ashenoy15

Community Answer

Yes, as it is based on the concentration of salt.
Question

Can I reuse the brine to soak new eggs?

Community Answer

You can, but the flavor might not be as strong, so it's recommended that you make a new batch of brine for a new batch of eggs.
Question

What if the shell of the egg cracks while in the brine? Will the whole jar have to be thrown out?

Community Answer

Yes.